The first thing we are going to do to determine the meaning of the term vile is to discover its etymological origin. In this case, we can say that it derives from Latin, specifically from the word “vilis”, which can be translated as “of little value” or “despicable”.
This adjective allows to qualify what is bad, shameful or dishonorable. For example: “In a vile measure, the boss decided to fire all the workers the day before Christmas”, “That is a vile lie! I have never done anything to harm you”, “Since you became president, you have always behaved vilely”. The concept is often used to qualify behaviors or actions that are despicable. A terrorist attack that leaves a hundred dead can be classified as a “vile attack”, to cite one possibility. A financial move by a millionaire to evade taxes, in this sense, can be cited as a “vile maneuver” to not pay what corresponds to the treasury.
Vile can also be applied to people when they demonstrate behavior or action that is harmful to other people. A man who mistreats animals, pollutes the environment and treats children with contempt can be called a “vile individual”. Cruella de Vil, on the other hand, is the name of the villain of “101 Dalmatians”, a novel written by Dodie Smith that has had several adaptations for television and cinema. Cruella is an evil woman obsessed with having coats made from animal skins. According to Smith’s account, Cruella de Vil tries to catch the puppies of Pongo and Perdita, two Dalmatian dogs. Her intention is to create a coat with dog hair. With the help of some criminals, she manages to kidnap the puppies, although her plans are frustrated. This character is considered one of the most iconic and despicable villains in literature and cinema. And we cannot forget that Cruella de Vil was one of the protagonists of the different films that have been made around her and the Dalmatians.
Specifically, among the most significant films in this sense, we find the following:
– “101 Dalmatians”. It was the film that Disney presented with great success in 1961, becoming one of the classics of his career.
– “101 Dalmatians II: An Adventure in London”. It was released in 2003 and is considered a continuation of the previous one. In it, the perfidious and vile Cruella is still determined to kidnap those dogs to make the coat that she has always dreamed of.
– “101 Dalmatians on vacation”. It was a 1998 cartoon that didn’t make it to theaters, it was shown straight to VHS.
-“101 Dalmatians; More alive than ever!”. It is a film with real actors, not cartoons. It is from 1996 and was made by Disney who chose the great actress Glenn Close as the perfect Cruella de Vil. She also played that role, which he repeated in the sequel “102 Dalmatians”.
