I have never really had a ‘Mickey Mouse’, but if I had to choose something like that, it would have to be the independent loner of Dashiell Hammet, or, even better, the Philip Marlowe of Raymond Chandler. These guys were self-assured and capable, and morally equipped to deal with the society of their times, which is to say, morally ambiguous.
Hammett’s ‘Cotinental Op’ didn’t really believe in anything, but had the work ethic that he was going to do anything it took to get the job done. Sometimes that involved ‘stirring up the pot’ to get things developing, even when that might mean somebody was going to end up hurt. This is not an admirable sentiment, but it is a reflection that this character was just as capable of dealing with the murky waters surrounding nihilism, as the morally corrupt individuals he was investigating. And even though these characters were capable of violent action, for them it was more of a job skill, than anything to feel proud of. Quite frequently, deeply hidden underneath their rough exterior, was a ‘heart of gold’, and a willingness to work for a higher good, even when there is not an immediate financial reward. This same type of character is reflected by the character portrayed by Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune in the film, ‘Yojimbo’.
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