I'm actively seeking cliches. So, what are the most cliche elements of the (already cliche) "corrupt cop" character? Physical attributes, actions, personality etc. Also, any sort of cliche that might show up in any show/book/whatever that involves organized crime would also be useful. You can say wether it's something you find grating or not if you want but really I'm just gathering info.
Cliched elements: - Middle-aged - Portly (often "pig-like") - Male - small eyes - balding - greedy and lascivious - chuckles throatily - makes suggestive comments to minor criminals, especially nubile female ones - brazen and unapologetic; convinced that "everyone does it." - usually addicted to drugs and/or gambling, hence the need to pad his income - porn-star mustache (optional)
topic, folks. FedoraPirate is asking for traits relating to the hackneyed corrupt cop: How about loud, crude, and none too bright? He never just walks. He swaggers. His personal habits are slovenly - greasy hair, bad breath, stained and perpetually damp armpits. or he's a skinny, sun-browned drug vice detective with oily black hair and a scruffy dark beard. Whenever he busts a dealer, half of the drugs and half of the money never makes it to the evidence room.
Many of them tend to have either a drinking issue or a drug addiction and use position as a law enforcement officer to feed this addiction (like, as Cogito noted, keeping portions of money, drugs, ect. that they confiscated).
Thanks for the traits. Does there tend to be any patterns to these type of character's roles in the film? Like when you recognize a character as being a "corrupt cop" is there anything you're usually pretty sure they'll end up doing or a certain way they'll end up at the end of the film?
Sell out someone he supposedly cares about. But you never really said what type of book or film you're talking about. In a comedic setting you could have someone like Boss Hogg of The Dukes of Hazzard, who's constantly scheming but completely inept. Or someone who is coldly efficient and a real threat, and your protagonist slyly maneuvers around hsi every threat (think Beverly Hills Cop). For a corrupt cop as a protagoniist, you won't find better than Vic Mackey and the Strike Team in the FX series The Shield.
He's an inept coward who possibly has ties to the mob. He may be an informant or even an enforcer. He'll probably beat a confession out of a suspect, not caring whether or not he's innocent or guilty. He may even think that he's doing what he should be doing to get the job done, self-righteously upholding the order while stepping around the law. My first thought is of Harvey Bullock from Batman. He's not so corrupt at this point in time, but look at the Batman Begins version. Oh, and he's probably racist, too.
Burned out .... nothing left. He fought the good fight and just gave up. It is easier to flow with the tide than swim against it.
He fits this second wave of cliches better than the first but to answer Cogito's question it's a (very dark) comedy. The cop character functions technically as the antagonist though considering the rest of the characters he might be the most morally superior (maybe). Mostly I'm just researching, some of the humour about the other characters comes from cliches.
My vision of a corrupt cop is: A slimeball, real sleezy SOB greedy insulting, swears frequently and doesn't hesitate to make suggestive comments cold-hearted Uses violence as way of persuasion
In a restaurant, he would stick his dirty fingers in your food to humiliate you in front of your friends/family.
