Spotlight

Spotlight Date: 13-October-02
 

Right-Hand Men

One of my very favorite literary/cinematic characters is the Right-Hand Man. No, I'm not disparaging southpaws; I mean the quiet, unflashy fellow who lives in the shadow of a bigger, more charismatic one. The kind of guy who is capable and heroic in his own hushed way, but does not seek the spotlight. Well, this week at The Jujube, he's going to get it.

Before explaining why I love the RHM, let me first define him, starting with what he's not. (Once you start to study this character, you realize that he is almost always male.) An RHM differs from a Sidekick in that both he and the man who overshadows him (whom I call his "Lord") need each other and are aware of the division of power between them (the Lord has more); also, an RHM is not used for comic effect. An RHM is not an Apprentice (a young man learning from an older), nor is he a Lackey (a person who despises his Lord but serves him for some reason). An RHM and his Lord are roughly the same age and share a mutual affection. However, whereas the Lord is dynamic, self-centered, passionate, ambitious, action-oriented, and much in the public eye, his RHM is unassuming, self-doubting, loyal, generous, unambitious, and thoughtful. He may be jealous of his Lord to some degree and, more often than not, is a better person overall, more moral, considerate, and wise. But he sticks by his Lord and shares his dreams — at least to a point.

Why does the RHM, and his relationship with his Lord, fascinate me? Because including them in a story automatically creates a situation laden with complexity and emotion. It brings up ideas worth considering — the phenomenon of personal power, the virtues and limits of loyalty, and the nature of love — and opens up many possibilities for dramatic tension, such as a romantic triangle, a moral dilemma, or a threat of betrayal. Also, a comparison of an RHM and his Lord speaks directly to the notion of what makes a hero. Is it the brilliant but arrogant man who creates his own destiny and strives for glory in the heat of battle? Or is it the guy who has to struggle to get through life like the rest of us, and who elevates himself by holding on to a goal of personal integrity and understanding? Why do such different characters relate to and rely upon each other? In a way, they jointly represent the varying manifestations of human accomplishment, and together they form a perfect unit, counterbalancing each other's faults and bringing each other back from extremes. When observing an RHM and his Lord, you can simultaneously admire and condemn them both, the one for being more worthy but weaker, the other for being dazzling but shallow, and you care for both because they care for each other.

Romantic relationships will always be popular in fiction because everyone wants one, but the connection between a Right-Hand Man and his Lord involves just as much feeling, codependency, and life-defining importance — and has the advantage of not yet being cliché.

Right-Hand Men in the Movies

• Joseph Cotten as Jedediah Leland in Citizen Kane (1941) – Sure, the cinematography and staging are brilliant, but where this movie really gets me is Cotten's portrayal of a classic RHM to Orson Welles' Kane (a situation revisited by the duo in The Third Man, below).
• Randolph Scott as Cash Evans in Pittsburgh (1942) – I don't remember much about this film, but Scott's relationship with John Wayne (and their rivalry over Marlene Dietrich) lingers.
• Joseph Cotten as Holly Martens in The Third Man (1949) – This movie has got it all, so why not an RHM? Orson Welles' Harry Lime is so powerful that he overshadows Cotten even when he is thought to be dead (and doesn't show up until the third act). As in Pittsburgh, a love triangle complicates the RHM-Lord relationship.
• Donald O'Connor as Cosmo Brown in Singin' in the Rain (1952) – I don't think I have ever seen O'Connor in anything else, but he will live forever in my heart just because he was an RHM to Gene Kelly in this song and dance classic.
• Christopher Guest as Nigel Tufnel in This is Spinal Tap (1984) – In a variation on the standard RHM-Lord theme, this uproarious "mockumentary" includes a hint of homoeroticism between the parties and lots of comic tension.
• Alan Ruck as Cameron in Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) – This fits my definition to a tee. Consider: Ferris (Matthew Broderick) might be unbearably cocky and Cameron unbearably pathetic if they didn't have each other. The combination is the heart of this film.
• Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock in the Star Trek series – The original TV show is the best place to appreciate the dynamic between the ultra-unassuming Vulcan and his ultra-swaggering Lord (William Shatner as Kirk), but you can get it from the movies as well. The only one I really liked was Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986).
• Jason Lee as Banky in Chasing Amy (1997) – As with the Cotten films, Kevin Smith's one great picture (to date) highlights how fragile the RHM-Lord bond can be, and finds poignancy in its demise.
• Edward Norton as the Narrator in Fight Club (1999) – [WARNING: SPOILER] The symbiosis of the relationship takes center stage in this odd twist, as a natural-born, emotionally disturbed RHM requires a Lord so badly that he creates one in his own mind (alter ego Brad Pitt).
• Mark Dacascos as Mani in Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001) – Racial issues contribute to the power structure of Iroquois Mani's connection with his white companion (Samuel Le Bihan) in this bizarre kung fu-horror-romance picture from France. In a similar way to Fight Club, the symbiosis is explored when the Lord almost becomes the RHM he has lost.
• Sean Astin as Samwise Gamgee in LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) – This is the rare example of an RHM-Lord relationship that never falters. Elijah Wood does a nice job making Frodo personable, but he's still a bit of a snob whose superiority compared with Sam may be just a figment of their imaginations.

Copyright © 2002 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.