Raging Bull, Martin Scorsese’s 1980 opus, is widely considered to be one of the greatest biopics in history, praised for its unflattering and unflinching portrayal of its subject, boxing champ Jake Lamatta. The film endeavored to show every flaw of the unrepentantly repugnant pugilist, which is why many were left puzzled by the film’s post-script, John IX. 24-26: “So, for the second time, [the Pharisees] summoned the man who had been blind and said: ’Speak the truth before God. We know this fellow is a sinner.’ ‘Whether or not he is a sinner, I do not know,’ the man replied. ’All I know is this: Once I was blind and now I can see.’” In part, this was included as Scorsese’s admission that this film was his own personal attempt at redemption, but also a reflection of cinema’s unique power: for turn the mirror towards its subject. Lamotta famously admitted he didn’t realize just how reprehensible he was until he’d seen the film. It’s that classic idea, the cinema du ciel, that when you die, your whole life plays out before you like a movie, to see the good and the bad, to truly know who you were. In that sense, everyone deserves a biopic.
Every story deserves to be told, and yet comparatively so few are. In fact, to look at the array of biopics in existence (or soon to be), its shocking how some of the most powerful, prominent and influential men in history have never had their lives committed to celluloid. It’s remarkable its taken so long to bring some of music’s greats to the screen, like this year’s Get On Up (James Brown), All Is By My Side (Jimi Hendrix) and the recently crowd-funded Miles Ahead (Don Cheadle as jazz legend Miles Davis), and yet still so many great men’s stories have gone untold. We here at Man of the Hour have selected the ten most essential stories that need the big screen treatment, and who is perfect to play them, so read on, and find out what great stories you’re missing out on.
10.) Jerry Siegel & Joe Schuster
Who were they? In 1934, two young Jewish kids from Brooklyn created a character who would take the world by storm. An immortal Man of Steel who would be worth millions, and would spawn a multi-billion dollar industry; and they would barely see a dime. These are the men who made Superman.
Why do they deserve a biopic? Because from Superman, everything else was born. He’s arguably the most important fictional character of the past century, and in a time where every blockbuster has a superhero, it’s important to see the roots of the industry. Siegel and Schuster are martyrs for creator rights, since the juggernaut DC Comics perpetually claimed sole copyright, declaring all of the team’s work as “work for hire” (the team had sold the rights to Superman to what was then National Allied Publications for $130 dollars) and therefor exempt from any royalties for any derivative work. Both died with little to show for their revolutionary creation, and have only had their story told in part, being major influences on Michael Chabon’s Pulitzer-Prize winning The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.
Who should play them? For Joe Schuster, the more reserved but emotionally distraught artist, Miles Teller (of this year’s Sundance hit Whiplash) would be ideal. As for Jerry Siegel, the writer with a love for science fiction and aspirations of literary fame, two time Academy Award nominee Jonah Hill would suit the role. Hell, it may actually get him that statue this time.
9.) Billy Graham
Who was he? A religious leader who rose to prominence in 1949 and remained a a powerful force to this very day. He was a spiritual advisor to every president from Harry S. Truman to Barrack Obama, and appeared on Gallup’s list of most admired men and women more times than any other person in the world.
Why does he deserve a biopic? Billy Graham is a controversial figure in the most definitive sense of the word. It’s impossible to label him good or bad in terms of his influence and power. He was a large supporter of the Civil Rights movement, promoting integration and even paying Martin Luther King Jr.’s bail repeatedly. He bonded with Richard Nixon over anti-Semitic views about a “Jew-run media”. He refused to join Jerry Falwell’s Moral Majority, though his crusades and revivals contributed to the party’s very foundation. He supported Mitt Romney, but denounced Mormonism. He fought apartheid, cracked jokes with Woody Allen, supported Vietnam, won countless awards and reached an estimated 2.2 billion people in his lifetime.
Who should play him? What set Graham apart from every other Evangelist was his passion, his sincerity and his charisma. He had the power of a president, and the strength and will to command it. He was fiery, well-intentioned and at every move potentially dangerous with the force he wielded. The kind of dark, confident charm Leonardo DiCaprio brings to almost every role, which would make him an ideal candidate for the film.
8.) Ruhollah Mostafavi Moosavi Khomeini
Who was he? A political and religious leader who united a nation against a corrupt ruler, made powerful enemies, and attempted to close one of the largest religious divides in history.
Why does he deserve a biopic? One of the most important figures in the history of Iran, and indeed the whole of the Middle East and the Islamic faith, yet we in the US know only what we gleaned from a bit of exposition in Argo. After years of oppression under the US and UK supported Shah (who’s lineage’s rise to power was summed up brilliantly by the 2007 film Persepolis) and his abusive secret police the SAVAK, the people of Iran rose up and overthrew their leader, putting in place Khomeini (who had spent 15 years in exile under the Shah’s regime) as the newly created Supreme Leader, which gave him the highest political and religious power in the nation. His tumultuous rule included attempts to unite Sunni and Shia Muslims, instituting strict conservative laws and supporting the Iranian hostage crisis. In 1979, he was named Time’s Man of the Year, and remained hugely influential, dubbed the “virtual face of Islam in Western popular culture” until his death in 1989.
Who should play him? Admittedly, most people wouldn’t know Amr Waked if you showed them a picture, but he has both the look and the talent to pull of the Ayatollah, with memorable performances in Syriana andSalmon Fishing in the Yemen.
7.) Jim Henson
Who was he? A puppeteer who built an empire, and an artist who left us far too soon.
Why does he deserve a biopic? Jim Henson was an artist, a director, a writer, a producer, a director, an inventor, a cartoonist and a puppeteer, best known for creating the hugely successful Muppets and the (let’s face it, inarguably) greatest children’s program of all time, Sesame Street. Creating the character of Kermit the Frog for commercials and small TV programs, Henson got the opportunity to create puppet segments for a new NBC program originally called NBC’s Saturday Night (later known as Saturday Night Live). From there, Henson created The Muppet Show, whose characters (and subsequent spin-off films and TV shows) have netted profits in the billions. This is to say nothing of Sesame Street’s massive success and influence as well as the cult hit Fraggle Rock, both of which he created. Yet, Henson was always a dreamer, and always dreaming bigger, from feature films (Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal) to theme park attractions (Jim Henson’s Muppet-Vision 3D) to designs for a night-club that would sadly never be. Henson, who had been raised in a Christian Scientist family, refused to seek medical attention when flu-like symptoms arose until it was too late, and died attached to a mechanical ventilator in a New York hospital at age 53.
Who should play him? Henson was a sensitive, introverted, and at times self-destructive man, who died because, as his ex-wife asserted, “he didn’t want to bother anyone”. Ben Whishaw (best known as the new Q in Skyfall) could tackle the complex inner workings of such a gentle but creative soul.
6.) Vladimir Lenin
Who was he? A revolutionary, a politician and a philosopher who lead one of the most famous government overthrows in history, turning a poverty ridden country into a super power.
Why does he deserve a biopic? Second only to Karl Marx in terms of importance to the Communist movement, Vladimir Lenin was one of the leaders of the October Revolution of 1917 which overthrew the Russian government and created the world’s first constitutionally communist country, the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (later known as the USSR, our rivals in the Cold War). Lenin was made leader of this new state, and set about dividing wealth amongst the people and establishing new treaties and regulations. His reign was a roller coaster ride of assassination attempts, territorial expansion and acts of terrorism upon his own people, until a stroke left him mute and bed-ridden until his eventual death, but the Leninist philosophy still lives on.
Who should play him? Reserved, intellectual and charismatic, Anton Yelchin could honestly pull of the famed Communist revolutionary, so long as his accent improves a fair bit from Star Trek (we know it was intentionally bad, we just want to hear him do a good one).
5.) Frank Sinatra
Who was he? Come on. He was “the chairman of the board”.
Why does he deserve a biopic? Because if Marty thinks so, its so. It’s true that Scorsese has had his eye on the story of Sinatra for a long time (presumably with DiCaprio playing Ol’ Blue Eyes himself), but while that may never come to pass, the story must get told. A little Italian crooner from Hoboken rises up from a singer with Tommy Dorsey to one of the most acclaimed and beloved singers of all time, winning eleven Grammys, a Congressional Gold Medal, and even an Academy Award. He invented the concept album with the somberly brilliant In The Wee Small Hours of the Morning and brought us the classic film The Manchurian Candidate. He faded out in the face of rock and roll only to come roaring back with the triumphant “My Way”, and would record the anthem of New York City, “New York, New York”. His association with the Kennedys and the mafia (it’s a well-known fact Sinatra was the inspiration for Johnny Fontaine in The Godfather), as well is his many storied relationships (including one with Mia Farrow, resulting in an elderly Frank threatening to “straighten out” Woody Allen) made Sinatra a vibrant and powerful character until the day he died. He’s a legend, and a story waiting to be told.
Who should play him? Yes, Scorsese wants Leo to do it, but he wants Leo to do everything, even when he can’t (lest we forget his atrocious accent in Shutter Island), so forgive us if we’re reticent to see his take on the Chairman. A better call, and not just in appearance, would be a more gruff and grizzled actor, like Jeremy Renner. Not only could he pull off the street-smart quips and intimidating air, but unlike DiCaprio, we know Renner has some pipes on him.
4.) Edmund Hillary
Who was he? A mountaineer who achieved what some thought impossible.
Why does he deserve a biopic? Sir Edmund Hillary was a mountaineer from New Zealand who did the impossible: he reached the summit of Mount Everest. His troubled and storied journey to the top with Tenzing Norgay has been told in countless books, but perhaps because of the massive budget recreating such a daring feat would take, it has never been properly dramatized. With today’s technology, it’s finally possible to bring the harrowing struggle to the summit to life once more.
Who should play him? Certainly Hillary was not the bulkiest of men, but if he was willing to muscle-up for Bane, Tom Hardy could surely slim down for Edmund. Hardy has the talent (see Bronson) and the humor (doing his best James Bond in Inception) to pull off such a giant of exploration.
3.) Hugh Hefner
Who was he? The builder of an empire, the face of a movement, and the purveyor of pleasure for generations.
Why does he deserve a biopic? If smut-peddler Larry Flynt gets one, how come Mr. Playboy doesn’t? Hugh Hefner started Playboy magazine with some nude pictures of Marilyn Monroe and start-up money from his mother and built it into a massive empire to rival that of Walt Disney, and indeed his Playboy Clubs and mansion were the Disneyland for adults. He took what could have been mere pornography and turned it into a platform for gentlemen, revolutionizing what a men’s magazine was, taking it from hunting and fishing to the finer things in life, showing that real men enjoyed sharp suits, fine wine and the best jazz records around. He followed trends, and then he set them, appearing on Playboy After Dark, a television talk show which birthed the iconic “pipe and smoking jacket” look Hef still rocks today. Playboy faced hardships but evolved with the times, and Hef’s personal life was so tumultuous and jet-setting it earned a massive biography from Steven Watts as part of a trilogy (alongside Henry Ford and, who else, Walt Disney).
Who should play him? Robert Downey Jr. has been tossed around for the role in several proposed films, but Downey was naturally charming. Hef, in his early years, was a bit of a nerd. An awkward, shy virgin until marriage kind of guy who cultivated the image of a confident playboy by being observant and business savvy. In that way, as well as appearance and even voice, he’s less Downey and more Jesse Eisenberg, who showed his flair for folks with business acumen in The Social Network (and who makes a hell of a lot more sense as Hef than Lex, but we won’t even get into that).
2.) Henry Ford
Who was he? A maverick industrialist who changed the country, and indeed the world, forever.
Why does he deserve a biopic? The father of the Model T, the founder of Ford Automotive, and the brains behind the concept of mass production, Henry Ford is America, plain and simple. His innovative ideas, revolutionizing the auto industry (and essentially being the face of a new Industrial Revolution) is only half the reason, the other half being is incredibly exciting personal life, the kicker being the 1901 race between Ford and Alexander Winton, upon which hinged Ford’s entire future, which was dubbed the “Race That Changed the World”.
Who should play him? Ford was a quirky man, soft-spoken but confident, and would be the perfect role for Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood)
1.) Socrates
Who was he? The single most influential philosopher (and perhaps human being) in the history of mankind, and a martyr for free thinking.
Why does he deserve a biopic? His is one of the most cinematic stories of all time. Having travelled Athens conversing with those who sought his wisdom, Socrates (from whom all Western philosophy has been been derived) is tried for crimes against the people, and eventually sentenced to death, which leads to his delivery of one of the single greatest pieces of writing in Western literature, the Apologia. In the company of his friends, Socrates drank poison, demanding they not weep for him, as death being unknown cannot with certainty be deemed bad. His embrace of logic and rational thought has inspired millions, and his teachings are still studied by scholars today.
Who should play him? Socrates has to be a man of intellect, one who can be both kindly enough to guide his pupils to the truth (Socrates never lectured, but rather discussed and questioned, letting people come to the conclusion themselves), yet powerful enough to deliver the impassioned Apologia. The kind of gravitas this role would require only belongs to a select few, most particularly Kevin Spacey.
So, that’s our picks for the Top Ten Men Most Deserving of Biopics. Have a different opinion? We’d love to hear it. Leave a comment, and we’ll discuss it, Socrates-style.
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