Film Review: Walker (1987)

American attempts to spread democracy to other countries through military force is phenomenon which is usually associated with 21st Century. Such events, however, happened in much earlier periods of US history. One such episode is subject of Walker, 1987 historical film directed by Alex Cox.

The plot begins in 1853 in northern Mexico where American adventurer William Walker (played by Ed Harris), motivated with desire to fight corruption and tyranny and spread American system of government, tries to establish new country. Mexican military crushes rebellion, but fortunate arrival of sandstorm allows Walker and his surviving followers to slip across US border. Walker’s expedition, although a failure, brings him reputation of hero and catches attention of powerful railroad and shipping tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt (played by Peter Boyle), whose steamships maintain the connection between US West and East Coast via overland route in Nicaragua. Two years later, with civil war in the country, Vanderbilt’s interests are threatened so he offers Walker money and support for another expedition, this time aimed at establishing friendly government in Nicaragua. Walker agrees and in 1855 lands in Nicaragua with ragtag band of adventurers and mercenaries. Despite proving to be horrible military leader and suffering horrendous casualties in first armed confrontation, Walker manages to win and establish power base in city of Granada. From there, acting first through friendly President Coral (played by Enrique Barza), he tries to “regenerate” Nicaragua according to his idea. His policies and conduct of his men, however, soon begin to alienate local population and elite, including Coral, who is ultimately deposed and executed and Walker taking his place. Walker gradually alienates even his sponsor Vanderbilt, which leaves him without crucial logistical and financial support, especially in the moment when Nicaraguan anti-Walker rebels form alliance with Costarica, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala and start war to chase off despised “gringo” from their country. In desperation, Walker legalises slavery in Nicaragua, hoping to get support from slave-owning Southern states of USA.

Alex Cox got the idea for film while visiting Nicaragua in mid 1980s, at the time when the country was ruled by Soviet-backed left-wing Sandinista government. Cox, just like his friend Joe Strummer (who wrote the music and appears briefly in small role), sympathised Sandinistas and the production, which used authentic locations in Granada, enjoyed logistical support from government and local Catholic clergy. Walker is notable for deliberately employing various anachronisms incompatible with its period settings – Zippo lighters, bolt-action rifles, 1980s magazine covers, automobiles and helicopters – which become more prevalent as the film goes on. This is used in order to convince the audience that what happened in 1850s Central America isn’t that different from what was happening in 1980s, when Reagan’s administration Cold War policy of supporting various “freedom fighters” like Contra rebels threatened to escalate those conflicts into Vietnam-like nightmare.

While Rudy Wurlizer’s script is very clear in making that point, it gets muddled by Cox’s direction and inability to maintain consistent tone. Film starts as combination of political satire and black comedy, but humour soon gets drowned by extreme violence. Cox was apparently too affected by his great love of spaghetti westerns and film is filled with scenes of often graphic bloodbath with victims usually being unsypmpathetic, unrecognisable or simply forgettable. There doesn’t seem to be any character in the film with whom audience could identify. The only exception is Walker’s deaf fiancée Ellen Martin (played by Marlee Matlin), but she is removed from the film early on. The only good things about this film are Strummer’s music and brilliant but chilling performance of Ed Harris who convincingly portrays fanatical idealist being transformed into power-hungry genocidal maniac. Peter Boyle is somewhat interesting as obnoxiously arrogant oligarch, but he too appears in film too little to have proper impact.

American audience had little understanding or patience for Walker and the film flopped at box office and got savaged by critics, marking the end of Cox’s career within mainstream Hollywood. Considering the state of the world today, there is clear need for films that would try to teach us some lessons from the past. Historical character of Walker could serve that purpose, but not the way he was presented in this tragically mishandled epic.

RATING: 3/10 (+)

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