Walker (film)
Directed by Alex Cox
Produced
by Lorenzo O'Brien
Angel Flores Marini
Written by Rudy Wurlitzer
Walker is an acid western by British director Alex Cox based on the life story of William Walker (Ed Harris), the American adventurer who invaded Mexico in the 1850s and made himself President of Nicaragua shortly thereafter. It was written by Rudy Wurlitzer and scored by Joe Strummer, who also plays a small role as a member of Walker's army. The film, which by the end is intentionally full of anachronisms such as helicopters, Zippo lighters, automatic rifles, and a car passing a horse carriage, was made in Nicaragua during the American-sponsored Contra War.
Alex Cox first visited Nicaragua in 1984, during the national election campaign for which Daniel Ortega became president, to see if conditions were as bad as the American media had reported. He discovered that this was not the case. The filmmaker was persuaded to return by two wounded soldiers from the Sandinista army. He later learned of the historical Walker from an article in Mother Jones magazine that was largely about US foreign policy in Central America and decided to bring his story to the screen. A history professor at the University of California lent Cox a library card so he could do more research on Walker. "The more I read about him the more bizarre this seemed," Cox remembers. He hired Rudy Wurlitzer to write the screenplay because, according to Cox, "He understands American guys and the mad impulse that drives certain Americans to be great men." Cox was not interested in making what he called a long, respectful historical drama that would be shown on Masterpiece Theatre because Walker "leads a disastrous misadventure. He's a pretty bad guy. I didn't think it was possible to approach it in this normal, historical, respectful style."
The
budget was set at six million dollars with most of the film being shot in Granada,
Nicaragua. To get into character, Ed Harris led the entire cast in a 10-mile forced
march through the Nicaraguan countryside. The actor was drawn to the challenge
of playing someone "who has incredible moral convictions but turns into such
an evil person in the name of spreading democracy." He was also drawn to
the script's politics, claiming to be anti-Contra and anti-intervention in Nicaragua
and saw making a film there as a way to possibly stop the bloodshed.
There is no evidence that Walker ever met Vanderbilt or received his support, as the movie suggests. Rather, Walker was supported by Vanderbilt's competitors, Charles Morgan and Cornelius Garrison, owners of the Nicaragua Transit Company in his time.
Ellen Martin, Walker's fiance, died in 1850. In the movie she is present
at his 1854 trial for violating US neutrality laws after he invaded Baja and Sonora
Mexico, and died shortly thereafter.
Cast
Ed Harris - William Walker
Richard Masur - Ephraim Squier
René
Assa - Doctor
Rene Auberjonois - Maj. Siegfried Hennington
Keith Szarabajka - Timothy Crocker
Sy Richardson - Capt. Hornsby
Xander Berkeley - Byron Cole
John Diehl - Stebbins
Peter Boyle - Cornelius Vanderbilt
Marlee Matlin - Ellen Martin
Alfonso
Arau - Raousset
Pedro Armendáriz Jr-. Muñoz (as Pedro Armendariz)
Roberto López Espinoza - Mayorga
Gerrit Graham - Norvell Walker
Helene Farber - Streetwalker
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