Cate Blanchett’s role in Eli Roth’s video game adaptation Borderlands may seem like something of an outlier to followers of her work. Her character Lilith, an intergalactic gunslinger with bright red hair and a menacing expression, may not be the type of role people associate with the two-time Oscar winner. One of the most acclaimed actresses of her generation, films like Elizabeth, Carol and Tár have earned her the reputation of a prestige actress known for complex character studies that draw critical acclaim.
However, there is a trend in her career that tends toward roguish, misfit roles, particularly in big-budget productions. “The crazy asks are usually the things I gravitate towards; the things I could never conceive of,” Blanchett revealed in an interview promoting Borderlands. “I think there also may have been a little COVID madness — I was spending a lot of time in the garden, using the chainsaw a little too freely. My husband said, ‘This film could save your life.’” The pull of the obscure is something that has remained consistent in her filmography, for better and worse.
Whereas pandemic isolation inspired her to take on Lilith, one of Blanchett’s most famous Hollywood roles was inspired by disruption. She played Hela, the Goddess of Death, in Taika Waititi’s Thor Ragnarok, the estranged sister of Thor and Loki who returns from imprisonment following the death of their father Odin. Hela was the first female villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with an entrance that shattered the status quo as she destroyed Thor’s hammer Mjolnir. Waititi’s film was a tonal shift for Thor, moving from brooding drama to something more colourful and comedic. Blanchett fit in perfectly, making Hela a grandstanding antagonist with a piercing stare, imposing headdress, and many a memorable line.
“I’m not a queen or a monster. I’m the Goddess of Death,” she says gleefully as she chokes Chris Hemsworth’s mighty hero in the film’s finale. It’s this duality that makes Hela one of the truly great Marvel villains, in that there is a human objective rather than some mystical MacGuffin, and a relatable motivation. She has a case for revenge having been wronged by their father, even if she chooses a callous path to achieve it. A mixture of danger, camp, and godly presence, she made her mark on the world’s biggest franchise.
The same interesting depth is visible in Blanchett’s foray into the world of Disney princesses – Kenneth Branagh’s live-action remake of Cinderella. The film itself plays it reasonably safe with the fairytale, resisting the twists in the formula that had come with films like Frozen two years previously. However, Blanchett drew on classic and modern influences to make her character, Lady Tremaine, more than an ‘Evil Stepmother’. The 1950 Disney cartoon portrayed Tremaine as severe and matronly, with her disdain for Cinderella coming from a place of sheer malevolence. Blanchett’s version, partly inspired by Joan Crawford, overflows with style and grace. She is initially warm toward Ella (Lily James), until her own pain turns her against her step-daughter.
In a scene where Ella finds out that her father – Lady Tremaine’s husband – has died, the messenger says in her earshot that his last words were for Ella and his first wife. Grief and the knowledge that she was never loved as much as her husband’s first family drive her to cruelty. Like Hela, there is some intelligence behind the role that introduces more motive, adding style and substance to a character that in the past had been wicked for the sake of it. Even in the most conventional of fairytales, Blanchett found something new to work with.
Moving away from capes and glass slippers, Blanchett was a key figure in the ensemble spin-off Ocean’s 8. Working with a star cast that included everyone from Sarah Paulson to Rihanna, Blanchett distinguished her character, Lou, from the group. Dressed in an array of fashionable suits, the actor disclosed that she gave Lou “quite a lot of masculine energy”, infusing the right-hand woman of leader Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock) with a casual confidence and playful flirtatiousness. She’s introduced sitting on top of a crate of alcohol she’s watering down, reading a magazine about motorbikes, and seems to be able to procure anything and everything Debbie asks for.
Of the group, Lou is the most enigmatic, never revealing her hand and sharing a chemistry with her partner that has led to many internet fan theories that the characters were an item (something Blanchett has denied). Regardless of context, Lou is an outlaw both in occupation and spirit. In a film where the target is The Met Gala, it would have been tempting to make the character as classically glamorous as the actress who plays her. However, Lou remains an outsider, someone who seems at home both in the shadows of criminality and on the red carpets of Manhattan.
Of course, not every venture into blockbuster territory is a success. 2008’s Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull was derided by fans, who took issue with the outlandish plot twists and cartoonish characters, one of whom was Dr Irina Spalko, played by Blanchett. A mixture of Raiders of The Lost Ark’s Arnold Toht and famous Bond villain Rosa Klebb, her Ukrainian accent, severe bob and large performance were not the worst aspects of the film, but perhaps symptomatic of its failings. A psychic Soviet agent with an obsession with the titular artefact, the lack of subtlety within the story meant Spalko became cartoonish against Blanchett’s better instincts. After all, is there a credible way to fence on top of two jeeps driving through a jungle?
Blanchett will be hoping for more success with Borderlands, but regardless of the outcome, these roles illustrate an artist who is willing to take risks on the biggest stage. As blockbusters become criticised for becoming increasingly homogenous, Cate Blanchett’s name on the poster of the latest big-budget adventure is hopefully a sign that you’ll be seeing something at least a little bit different.
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