by Michael Gavino
Character often gets overlooked in today’s CGI laden blockbusters. What a joy it is to witness a master do a strong character study. In this latest installment of his "night workers" series, Paul Schrader examines the unique character known as The Walker, a man who escorts socialites to society functions. Schrader takes special care in showing what makes this unique societal animal tick, and just how fragile his social status is when faced with scandal.
Woody Harrelson portrays Carter Page III, a Washington Walker taking the political society women to functions their husbands are to busy to or simply don’t want to attend. On the one hand it allows him to be surrounded by opulence and power. On the other hand, the job makes him the object of scorn and reduces him from man to mere accessory. Schrader illustrates this duality in a scene where Carter escorts a socialite to the opera. As soon as we enter the arena we are overwhelmed by the grandness of the scene. Not only the magnificence of the opera, but the audience is littered with Ambassadors, Generals, and Senators – the pinnacle of American society. Yet, we also see the flip side. We see the scorn in the eyes of many patrons as he walks by. Indeed to many, Carter is a little more than a prostitute without the sex.
What would drive someone to live such an odd lifestyle? Schrader gives us clues to what makes Carter tick. A homosexual, Carter comes from a powerful southern political family. While his homosexuality excludes him from elected office, it also was a severe embarrassment to his family that leads Carter to consider himself a "black sheep." Furthermore, Carter, by his own admission, is "superficial." He delights in partaking in card games with the society women. The empty gossip and chatty chatter serve as oxygen to Carter. Indeed, everything about Carter from his attire to his attitude strikes as artifice. No scene displays this better than the classic toupee scene where Carter slowly removes his well -coifed toupee with the same care a knight would have removing his armor.
Yet, do not confuse Carter’s artificiality for laziness. Carter works as hard at being a superficial walker as his father ever did as a politician. Carter plays his society women as well as a violin prodigy plays a Stradivarius. He has mastered the art of being inoffensively offensive. Possessing the skills of the best diplomats, Carter never gives his enemies enough ammunition to hurt him while at the same time dispensing enough gossip and humor to draw society women to him.
Yet, sadly, Carter learns that life as an accessory is a very fragile one. One day, socialite Lynn Lockner (Kristin Scott Thomas) wife of the powerful Senator Larry Lockner (Willem Dafoe) asks Carter to cover up the suspicious death of her lover. Believing it his duty, Carter agrees. When the justice department learns of the possible involvement of Mrs. Lockner, they see a perfect opportunity to bring down Senator Lockner. They try to get Carter to flip on Mrs. Lockner. Carter refuses. The justice department tries to increase the heat by arresting Carter and parading him in front of the press. Using all of the political capital he had gained over the years, Carter makes the case go away for both he and Mrs. Lockner. One might think such a feat would make Carter a hero in the eyes of the socialites. Nothing could be further from the truth. Now that he has been tainted publicly by scandal, Carter is a pariah. Indeed, toward the end of the film we see the disgraced Carter walk into the card game where he once held court. The hatred exuding from the women glances like that of the matriarchal Natalie Van Miter (Lauren Bacall) show Carter that he is no longer welcome. In an ironic twist, sitting at that very table is Lynn Lockner as if nothing had happened. Thus is the peril of living life as an accessory. At the first sign of trouble, you are discarded like last years Prada bag.
Like Taxi Driver, American Gigolo, and Light Sleeper before it, The Walker proves that Paul Schrader is the master of the character study film. While he says this is probably the last of his "night workers" film, here’s hoping he changes his mind.
