Basta (Inkworld)
Encyclopedia
Basta is a fictional character
in the Inkworld trilogy
by Cornelia Funke
. He was played by Jamie Foreman
in the film adaptation
of Inkheart
which was released in 2009.
Though a villain
, Basta is an enigmatic character and openly admits to not enjoying killing as much as the others. His past is a mystery, but he is said to have a fear of fire because of an accident that burned both of his arms. Incidentally, this occurred when performing an act of arson for his master, Capricorn. One of his character traits is a constant wearing of long-sleeved shirts because of his shame due to the scarring on his arms, as Fenoglio tells him. It is also mentioned that he was "quite unhappy" before he met Capricorn, and that he was still a child when he joined Capricorn's men (at one scene in 'Inkheart', he mentions that he was "younger than Meggie" when he joined, and Meggie is 12 years old at that time).
Famous for knives (and his love of using them) Basta is never seen without one. Occasionally when he is in an attempt to kill one of the main characters, he caresses and runs his hands over the knife, presumably addicted to the sense of power that it gives him. Though Dustfinger steals a couple of them at various points during the course of Inkheart, he always replaces them quickly. Dustfinger and Basta have a history that began when Basta slashed Dustfinger's face several times as revenge for his pursuit of Roxane, the woman that Basta loved.
Basta is very superstitious, always wearing some kind of medallion or good-luck charm to protect him from a bad luck that he thinks exists everywhere. Many of the characters, Dustfinger and Fenoglio particularly, take advantage of this to achieve their means.
Basta also has a habit of chewing peppermint leaves, when the girl he liked told him that he had bad breath.
In addition to his superstitions, Basta has several other bizarre insecurities. Some readers have gone so far to interpret these as hints of a case of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
. Once told by a girl that he had bad breath, he chews constantly on peppermint leaves. Also, when Dustfinger takes refuge in Basta's abandoned house on the edge of Capricorn's village, (which is strangely and intentionally isolated from all of Capricorn's other minions) he notices an uncanny cleanliness, particularly in the kitchen.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the Inkworld trilogy
Inkworld trilogy
The Inkheart trilogy is a series of three fantasy novels written by German author Cornelia Funke, comprising Inkheart , Inkspell , and Inkdeath...
by Cornelia Funke
Cornelia Funke
Cornelia Funke is a multiple award-winning German author of children's fiction. She was born on 10 December 1958, in Dorsten, North Rhine-Westphalia. Funke is best known for her Inkworld trilogy, with the English translation of the third book, Inkdeath, released on 6 October 2008. Many of her...
. He was played by Jamie Foreman
Jamie Foreman
Jamie Foreman is an English actor best known for his roles as Duke in Layer Cake and Bill Sikes in Roman Polanski's Oliver Twist . He played opposite Ray Winstone and Kathy Burke in Gary Oldman's Nil by Mouth and also featured in Elizabeth , Gangster No. 1 and Sleepy Hollow...
in the film adaptation
Inkheart (film)
Inkheart is a 2008 fantasy film directed by Iain Softley and starring Brendan Fraser, Eliza Bennett, Paul Bettany, Helen Mirren, Andy Serkis and Jim Broadbent. It is based on the novel with the same name by Cornelia Funke...
of Inkheart
Inkheart
Inkheart is a young adult-child fantasy novel by Cornelia Funke, and the first book of the Inkworld trilogy....
which was released in 2009.
Character biography
Basta is a character created by Cornelia Funke for the book Inkheart. He is a member of Capricorn's team of "fire-raisers" and often is assigned Capricorn's dirty-work.Though a villain
Villain
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
, Basta is an enigmatic character and openly admits to not enjoying killing as much as the others. His past is a mystery, but he is said to have a fear of fire because of an accident that burned both of his arms. Incidentally, this occurred when performing an act of arson for his master, Capricorn. One of his character traits is a constant wearing of long-sleeved shirts because of his shame due to the scarring on his arms, as Fenoglio tells him. It is also mentioned that he was "quite unhappy" before he met Capricorn, and that he was still a child when he joined Capricorn's men (at one scene in 'Inkheart', he mentions that he was "younger than Meggie" when he joined, and Meggie is 12 years old at that time).
Famous for knives (and his love of using them) Basta is never seen without one. Occasionally when he is in an attempt to kill one of the main characters, he caresses and runs his hands over the knife, presumably addicted to the sense of power that it gives him. Though Dustfinger steals a couple of them at various points during the course of Inkheart, he always replaces them quickly. Dustfinger and Basta have a history that began when Basta slashed Dustfinger's face several times as revenge for his pursuit of Roxane, the woman that Basta loved.
Basta is very superstitious, always wearing some kind of medallion or good-luck charm to protect him from a bad luck that he thinks exists everywhere. Many of the characters, Dustfinger and Fenoglio particularly, take advantage of this to achieve their means.
Basta also has a habit of chewing peppermint leaves, when the girl he liked told him that he had bad breath.
In addition to his superstitions, Basta has several other bizarre insecurities. Some readers have gone so far to interpret these as hints of a case of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Obsessive–compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce uneasiness, apprehension, fear, or worry, by repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing the associated anxiety, or by a combination of such obsessions and compulsions...
. Once told by a girl that he had bad breath, he chews constantly on peppermint leaves. Also, when Dustfinger takes refuge in Basta's abandoned house on the edge of Capricorn's village, (which is strangely and intentionally isolated from all of Capricorn's other minions) he notices an uncanny cleanliness, particularly in the kitchen.