The film adaptation of Roald Dahl's Matilda is a staple of 1990s kid's movies. Premiering in 1996, the movie stars Mara Wilson and Danny DeVito and is about a young girl with great abilities who struggles with her home and school life. Matilda faces many struggles that children endure, which is why the film still holds up nearly three decades later and has inspired a musical remake in December 2022. Full of great characters, amazing performances, and a strong story, Matilda is rightfully one of the best family movies of the '90s, but there was a darker element that took the film to new heights.
Perhaps more so than Matilda, no character in the film had a more lasting impact than Headmistress Agatha Trunchbull. Miss Trunchbull, better known as The Trunchbull, was played by Pam Ferris and served as the main antagonist. She was both a physical bully who abused her students and a mental manipulator who used her position as headmistress to rule the Crunchem Hall school with an iron fist. Cruel, violent, and horrific, The Trunchbull is not only the most memorable character in Matilda, but she's one of the most underrated villains in cinema, and it's not even close.
The Trunchbull Represents a Universal Fear
The Trunchbull is so effective as a villain in Matilda because she represents a common fear for children: school and authority figures. Children are small and usually seen as more vulnerable characters, so any kind of strife in a film takes on a darker scenario. Though school is considered a safe haven, many experienced childhood anxieties at this time, and The Trunchbull is a perfect representation of this fear. At school, children often meet authority figures who are also the first figures outside of family members that they should look up to, but this time can be pivotal for children's development. The Trunchbull in this setting is horrifying as she is a bully in a position of high authority.
Bullying is a severe enough issue in schools, but when the bully is someone who has unlimited power and position, it's more terrifying and villainous. Matilda's Trunchbull, being the headmistress, was a physical monster who threw a girl over a fence by her pigtails, forced a boy to eat an entire cake, and used an Iron Maiden-like torture chamber to punish children called "The Chokey." It's also widely implied that she killed her niece Jennifer Honey's father and stole her inheritance. The Crunchem Hall students were completely at her mercy, and The Trunchbull knew it. Her unlimited power was something that many students feared entering school, and The Trunchbull represented it perfectly. She was a well-written character and deeply disturbing, but her portrayal was even stronger.
Pamela Ferris Expertly Portrayed the Trunchbull
It doesn't matter how well a character is written if the performer doesn't give it their all, and Pam Ferris plays Dahl's character in a manner that can't be replicated in Matilda. From her demeanor to the almost predatory way she attacks students, Ferris embodies every negative trait that The Trunchbull has to offer. Large, scowling, and unstable, Ferris didn't so much portray the character as she did inhabit it. Half of The Trunchbull's iconic demeanor wasn't just written.
Pam Ferris adds a level of cruelty that is more fit for a PG-13 film. She smiles and delights at the pain she inflicts and ultimately looks for challenges. Coming off as more a predator than a person, Ferris takes several cues from Jurassic Park, whether it's breathing against the glass or recklessly charging at foes. In a tense sequence where Matilda and her teacher Miss Honey are inside The Trunchbull's (formerly Miss Honey's) home, she stalks them and looks for a fight. She's less concerned with who is inside and would rather fight. As a former Olympic athlete, she's more than strong enough to fight off anyone but delights in inflicting pain and even screams in frustration when she realizes the person got away. Ferris' takes expressions and physicality to another level, which makes her interactions with Matilda more iconic.
The Trunchbull Is the Perfect Antagonist for Matilda
Combining portrayal with the theme, what makes The Trunchbull great is that she has a perfect foil, Matilda. As terrifying as The Trunchbull is and how she's portrayed, Matilda's protagonist needs to represent the themes at play. Matilda is a young child, a reader, and profoundly intelligent, and her character is the most self-sufficient in the story. Matilda is an outsider from birth and isn't afraid to remain one in the face of adversity, in this case, a brutish woman who uses fear to exert control. Matilda is the perfect compliment for The Trunchbull, as they are the epitome of brains vs. brawn.
With a character as brutish as The Trunchbull, she needs to be offset with a character equally cunning. Matilda's intellect is unmatched in the story, and after enrolling at Crunchem Hall, she challenges The Trunchbull, who sees free-thinking, intellect, and individualism as troublesome. As The Trunchbull relies on intimidation, she becomes frustrated with Matilda, who doesn't fear her. This stand cumulates in Matilda's climactic battle where the school turns against The Trunchbull. As strong as the ending is, it's furthered by what it represents.
The Trunchbull/Matilda feud is great because it represents freedom vs. oppression. There's a common fear that schooling is meant to push conformity over learning, and both represent this beautifully. The Trunchbull is oppressive and physical, but intimidation can only take place if the people fear it. The Trunchbull uses her power and fear to rule but is ultimately brought down by the people led by wit. For this to truly work, the villain had to be amazing, which The Trunchbull is.
A great villain embodies the story's theme, has a presence, and is memorable. Regardless of the genre or age rating, Matilda's The Trunchbull instills fear and represents something every child has endured. She is a constant reminder of the fragility of youth and the power of oppression, something Roald Dahl frequently wrote about. The Trunchbull is not only an underrated villain, but she is also one of the greats.