The 1960s is so much more than groovy hippies, progressive rockers, and mod fashionistas. And as far as movies go, they had some of the greatest characters ever imagined.

While Hollywood kept chugging along with polished studio fare, the popularity of foreign-language movies pushed the envelope of movies forward with challenging stories, themes – and oftentimes, unusual characters. The New Wave movements from France, Japan, and Italy, not to mention the revival of Westerns throughout Europe, introduced a slew of attractive, amoral antiheroes. Meanwhile, in the States, several of the biggest stars in Hollywood kept their profiles up by playing some of the most iconic characters ever in cinema.