Shedding Some Light

[THE BAT-MAN]

For a long time now many people, including batman fans have believed that Tim Burton's Penguin was portrayed as a bad egg from the start.  Evil and sadistic, from the moment young Oswald killed the cat from inside his locked baby craddle.  Many have claim that they did not feel sympathy for the charater simply because of this one scene.

In my opinion people should take a look at this scene more carefully.  For if one was to view it carefully a horrific truth might be revealed.  Again this is my own opinion and hopefully you will agree with it.   I believe that the penguin was not born evil from the beginning.  Instead, I believe that as a result of his physical appearance.  His parents were horrified and from the beginning devised ways of getting rid of him.  The whole scene with the cat became clear to me.  The Penguin didn't kill it because he was evil, the penguin did it because he needed to survive.  It's possible that Oswalds parents were starving him,  I mean who knows how long he had been locked in that cradle.  It also became somewhat evident that their was no true emotional attachment with oswalds mother meaning that she probably didn't breast feed him.  I know that some of you might be thinking, Wait a minute?  His mother was showing emotional concern when she blew him a kiss.  I believe that she blew him a kiss because of her guilty conscience.  Even Oswald's Father gave a cold look.  The whole evil sadistic nature of penguin resulted later when he joined the circus as the aquatic bird boy suffering from the hand of society's  abuse.  However, his parents were responsible for planting a seed of evil with their own rejection.   Anyway, for me this sheds new light on having sympathy for the Penguin.  It's just like Danny DeVito stated in the official book of the movie,

"The Penguin is a very intelligent man, someone who always wanted acceptance.  He's a guy who is living one world in his mind and another as people perceive him.  I mean, his parents took a look at him when he was a baby and totally rejected him.  But if they tried to understand that there was a human being inside that hideous "penguin boy".  He might have become another Albert Einstein."

                                                              ------- Danny DeVito

[Paul (ral)]

The cat scene has always been a problem for me. We aren't tol he is being starved or abuse so the intention of the scene can only convey that he is an animal to begin with.

Obviously the scene smacks of Burton's black humour but I feel a little editing and the perception of the Penguin in the movie would be completely different.

[THE BAT-MAN]

The cat scene has always been a problem for me. We aren't told he is being starved or abused so the intention of the scene can only convey that he is an animal to begin with.

Obviously the scene smacks of Burton's black humour but I feel a little editing and the perception of the Penguin in the movie would be completely different.

Granted, we may not have been told that he was being starved or abused, but I think the actions of his parents speak louder than words.  Oswald may have been born with animal instincts, but those instincts are based on his survival.  Penguins don't eat or kill cats,  unless it's survival is being compromised.  Maybe he killed the cat purely out of anger, frustration, and jealousy.  I mean, who knows how long he has been locked in that cradle.  My point is Penguin killing a cat doesn't make him evil.  In fact, this particular scene reminds me of the true story regarding a baby boy who tried flushing his parents cat down the toilet, when confronted as to why he did it, the boy exclaimed that the cat was more loved than him.  I do agree that the scene expresses Burton's dark humor.  The fact that cats eat and kill birds, but in the movie we see that it is the bird eating and killing the cat.  However,  I feel that DeVito understood Tim's take on the character best.  You never hear DeVito say anything about the penguin being born evil.  Instead, he talks of the pengiun being misunderstood and ultimately a product of his physical appearance.

"The Penguin, had he been understood and nurtured, could have been another Einstein.  Unfortunately, he's a product of his physical appearance."
 
"He could have been nurtured, gone to the bests schools and become a worldly human being, but from the confines of the Lair in which he was raised and the underworld of characters to which he was exposed,  The Penguin became what he is."

                                                    ------- Danny DeVito   

[Pigeon]

Hmmm...ever read Lord of the Flies?  Different children need different kinds of raising.  Some need a firmer hand than others.  I agree that Penguin was not born evil (and can argue even that he never became truly evil) but I concede that he likely would have taken a firm hand in raising.

I think a lot of people miss the point of his character entirely.  I have friends that don't want to watch the movie or didn't like it simply because of his physical appearance.  I believe that one of the morals in his story is that you can create someone mean and vindictive if you treat them badly, ridicule or ostracize them.  The reactions of people to his character, to me, seem to say a lot about human nature.  We're all pretty shallow people.

[thecolorsblend]

Hmmm...ever read Lord of the Flies?  Different children need different kinds of raising.  Some need a firmer hand than others.

I can attest to that.

I agree that Penguin was not born evil

Are you basing that on baby Oswald dragging kitty-kitty into his cage and presumably killing it?

(and can argue even that he never became truly evil)

Are you basing that on his plan to kidnap all the children in Gotham so that he could drown them?

Maybe things would've gone differently for Oswald if he'd been nurtured instead of abandoned.  Even so, a character's inner demons are always lurking just below the surface waiting to get out in the Burton Batman films.  If the Penguin hadn't become a villain, he would probably have been very similar to Shreck.

[Paul (ral)]

I have friends that don't want to watch the movie or didn't like it simply because of his physical appearance....The reactions of people to his character, to me, seem to say a lot about human nature.  We're all pretty shallow people.

That is an excellent point - one I have never thought about before...that actually projects something of the movie and reflects it in the audience.

Well observed!

[THE BAT-MAN]

I just recently wathced the Elephant Man and before I get into details I just wanted to make it clear that the comparisons that I make are based on the movies and not the actual history.  Okay let's begin,  it was quite interesting seeing the similarities between both characters.  Both were born deformed, both joined a circus as freak sideshow performers. According to the elephant man film the lower and middle class of society rejected and abused him.  Whereas the upper class of society accepted him with great admiration and charity.  The elephant man in the film was about 21 years old when he left the circus however he died at the age of 27.  They both exchanged similar dialogue.

The Elephant Man, " I am not an animal, I am a human being, I am a man." 

Penguin," I am not a human being, I am an animal, Cold blooded."

The thing I find interesting is the age difference between the two.  The Elephant Man was portrayed quite young early 20's and The Penguin was portrayed a little older early 30's.  Both films reflect the horrors of human nature and how we as a society treat eachother based on our appearance.  Anyway, I just thought I share that with you.  I don't know if Tim Burton was inspired by The Elephant Man when he was working on The Penguin, but  if you haven't seen it yet I recommend that you do.

[Pigeon]

Yes, that quote was actually supposed to be a tongue-in-cheek homage to The Elephant Man.  Burton was apparently also aware of the similarities.

I'm not trying to defend the fact that Penguin attempted to kidnap/dispatch all Gotham's firstborn and then blow up the city.  I suppose, looking at it, most people would call that 'evil.'  I can see Penguin's faulted line of reasoning, but there is reason to it, insofar as it makes sense to him, "they wouldn't put me on a pedestal, so I'm layin' 'em on a slab."  If an animal bites me, I strike it (unless it's a bird, they don't reason that way, but that's beside the point).

I do, however, stick by the reasoning that Penguin didn't have to turn out that way.  I think, with love and nurturing, he could have been different.

[THE BAT-MAN]

I've always felt that if Oswald was raised by his parents, then he would have become The Penguin that is more based from the Comic Books. 

Let me explain in brief.  He would have been born deformed, but not grotesque.  His hair would not be long and greased.  Instead, it would be cut short much like his father's.  His teeth would not be rotting, nor would he be pale with dark cirlcles around his eyes and drooling a dark green bile from his mouth.  This look was a result from living in the sewers for many years.
 
Instead, he would have proper hygene and execute good manners like a gentleman.  He would still have a love for birds for they are his only friends.  Since the Cobblepots have great wealth and have come to terms with raising their son.  Oswald would be sent to the finest schools, his mother would make him take an umbrella with him so that way he won't get sick with pneumonia. On top of his obesity and deformity young Oswald would suffer abuse and humilation from the school bullies.  He would then be given the nickname The Penguin.

As a result of his physical appearence he would become an outcast of High Society.  He would then exact his revenge on the wealthy of Gotham by becoming a criminal who is both a mobster and a theif.  The only thing that separates The Penguin from the common criminal is that his crimes are done  with class and style.  Since, The Penguin regards himself as a refined gentleman he would wear the formal clothes such as a top hat, monocle, and tuxedo during his jobs.  Later, He would become the owner and operator of the iceberg lounge and continue as an illegitimate entrepreneur. 

The bottom line is that he would still become a criminal.

[Pigeon]

His teeth would not be rotting, nor would he be pale with dark cirlcles around his eyes and drooling a dark green bile from his mouth.  This look was a result from living in the sewers for many years. [color]

I always figured bthat black saliva (and stained, pointed teeth) were part of the original packaging, part of what made his parents do what they did.

The bottom line is that he would still become a criminal. [color]

Oh yes, of course.  But "a well-respected monster" (somewhat), more like what he told Shreck he was trying to become.

The fanfic I've been working on (hinging on him not really being dead after the toxic waste immersion at the end of BR) takes Burton's 'sewer bird' and gradually turns him into something more like the comic character.  I like both incarnations, and blending them is fun.