The Ventriloquist And Scarface
There’s something immensely frightening about a villain in the grip of a personality disorder. M Night Shamalayan’s Split showed us just how effective this corrosive disease can be on screen and Arnold Wesker and his alter ego, the ventriloquist dummy Scarface, fit the bill.
On his own, Wesker is mild-mannered and weak, but under the influence of Scarface he transforms into a man capable of true terror. Their origin owes its roots to Blackgate Prison, where Wesker discovers the dummy and murders its creator to become the Ventriloquist. At the same time, the alter-ego of Scarface comes to life. Clad in pinstripe suit, teeth clamped around signature cigar, he’s inspired by the crimes of Al Capone.
One of the central questions at the heart of understanding Wekser is this: is he using the dummy way to absolve himself of his sins, or is he really unable to distinguish between the two personas? On another level, is it possible that Scarface has human powers? There are instances in the comics where he acts independently of his master (or his slave), but this might just be artistic liberty, and an illustration of the depths Wesker has sunk to.
Either way, it’s a fascinating duality and another layer on top of the usual bad guy routine.
