Escape from New York, along with its sequel, boasts the coolest character in Kurt Russell’s entire filmography. Over the years, Kurt Russell has played a long list of memorable characters, from Wyatt Earp in Tombstone to Jack Burton in Trouble in Little China.
The actor, who seems to feel at home in action-oriented movies, excels at playing “tough guy” characters, regardless of age. That side of the actor was evident in films such as The Hateful Eight, Tango and Cash, and, of course, The Thing. It’s one of the reasons why Kurt Russell is widely considered to be one of the best action stars of the 1980s and 1990s.
Kurt Russell’s action hero days produced several great movies, one of which being Escape from New York. There’s much worth remembering about the 1986 classic, but nothing makes it more special than the character he played in the film – Snake Plissken.
Snake Plissken Is Easily Kurt Russell’s Coolest Character
Kurt Russell Has Played Several Great Characters, But None Are Quite As Cool As Snake Plissken
Set in a war-torn version of New York in the late 1990s, the post-apocalyptic movie from 1986 placed Kurt Russell in the role of Snake Plissken, an eye-patch-wearing criminal in the custody of the federal government. At the start of the film, Snake is allowed to leave prison, on the condition that he go on a high-stakes mission to rescue the President of the United States.
There are only two Snake Plissken movies, but a third installment was in development at one point. James Carpenter and Kurt Russell would have returned for a space-centric sequel to Escape from L.A., but the film’s poor box office performance shattered that plan.
Having been injected with a device that will kill him within a certain period in order to ensure his loyalty to the mission, Snake Plissken can hardly be considered a traditional hero in Escape from New York. Rather, he’s much more of an anti-hero, someone forced to be on the side of good in the battle against the film’s villains.
Escape from New York is full of great Snake Plissken moments that perfectly capture how cool the character is. Like most great action heroes, Kurt Russell doesn’t need a monologue to make an impression, with short and effective lines like “Call me Snake” lending themselves well to his imposing image. His eyepatch adds a great touch to it too, somehow making him even more menacing.
Kurt Russell’s Snake Plissken Performance Is Based On Clint Eastwood (& For Good Reason)
Kurt Russell
Snake Plissken’s anti-hero status, combined with his rugged demeanor and air of mystery, gives him a vibe reminiscent of Clint Eastwood, specifically the characters he played in his Western movies, including Sergio Leone’s iconic Dollars Trilogy.
The commonalities he shares with Clint Eastwood is not by coincidence. Kurt Russell has acknowledged the connection, explaining in the past that he purposefully channeled Clint Eastwood for his Snake Plissken performance in Escape from New York. Clint Eastwood’s acting style seemingly influenced Russell’s voice, delivery of his lines, and other mannerisms, such as his smoking.
According to Kurt Russell, the inspiration for his idea to use Clint Eastwood as a template for the Snake Plissken character stems from the casting of Lee Van Cleef in Escape from New York. Van Cleef played the main antagonist to Clint Eastwood’s character in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
It’s hard to imagine a better choice for the basis of the Snake Plissken character in James Carpenter’s movies. Clint Eastwood’s Man With No Name is easily one of the most iconic movie protagonists of all time, and his “coolness” is a huge contributing factor. With that in mind, it makes perfect sense to weave those elements that made him so popular into Escape from New York.
As a 1980s sci-fi movie, it’s a different type of film, but it’s post-apocalyptic setting has a dark atmosphere that’s not dissimilar to the world seen in Eastwood’s Westerns.
As a 1980s sci-fi movie, it’s a different type of film, but its post-apocalyptic setting has a dark atmosphere that’s not dissimilar to the world seen in Eastwood’s Westerns. Snake Plissken fits Escape from New York perfectly, just as Eastwood does his Westerns.
Kurt Russell’s Performance Is Snake Plissken Will Make An Escape From New York Remake Extremely Hard To Pull Off
Kurt Russell Seems Irreplaceable As Snake Plissken
As evidenced by its 86% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the 1986 movie remains a well-liked sci-fi movie, hence why even in the 2020s, there have been discussions about an Escape from New York remake. Talks of it happening have stalled, and that may very well be for the best, given how challenging it would be not only to better the story of the original, but the performance of its lead.
Few actors can emulate someone as iconic as Clint Eastwood and not disappoint, so the bar for a new Snake Plissken has been set extremely high. An Escape from New York reboot would be hard-pressed to find an actor who could recreate the same mystique that Russell brought to Snake Plissken.
