Character Type: Prostitute
“There is an implied question for any movie viewer about a primary character who is a Prostitute: ‘Could I do that? Can I imagine myself in a situation like that?’ A well-crafted Prostitute character can move the moviegoer experience beyond voyeurism to vicarious imagination.”
Those of you who have followed my blog for some time or taken courses with me through Screenwriting Master Class know how fascinated I am with character archetypes, specifically how there are five — Protagonist, Nemesis, Attractor, Mentor, Trickster — which recur in movies over and over and over.
Some might see archetypes as a sort of reductionist approach to writing when in my experience, it is precisely the opposite.
By working with these five Primary Character Archetypes, we can identify the core narrative function of every key character, then use that knowledge as a guide as we build them out in a limitless number of ways.
One approach is to use an extensive array of Character Types available to us. So this month, I am running a series in which we will explore 20 Character Types, and consider how writers can use them to create unique, compelling figures in our stories.
Today: Prostitute.
There have been dramas with prostitutes such as Taxi Driver, Midnight Cowboy and Leaving Las Vegas:
There have been comedies featuring prostitutes like Irma La Douce, Night Shift and Mighty Aphrodite:
There have been thrillers like Klute, Angel and American Gigolo:
What is the appeal of these characters in movies? Obviously there is the allure of sex. But beyond that, there is an implied question for any movie viewer about a primary character who is a Prostitute and that is this: Could I do that? Can I imagine myself in a situation like that? A well-crafted Prostitute character can move the moviegoer experience beyond voyeurism to vicarious imagination.
One of the most popular iterations of this type is the proverbial Hooker With a Heart of Gold such as Belle Watling in Gone With the Wind and Vivan Ward in Pretty Woman:
There is also prostitution in a metaphorical sense. In The Apartment, Fran Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine) is having an affair with her boss Jeff Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray):
At one point, Sheldrake tosses a hundred dollar bill to Fran in order for her to go buy herself a Christmas present and she starts taking off her clothes saying, “I just thought as long as it was paid for.” At that moment, the stark truth hits her: She has been prostituting herself. Notably this is what leads to her suicide attempt.
One of the many reasons The Apartment is such a superlative movie is that the theme of prostitution comes into play with another character: The Protagonist C.C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon) who by allowing his co-workers, then Sheldrake to use Baxter’s apartment for their trysts has sold his soul in an attempt to climb the corporate ladder.
Which brings us back to the question that invites a script reader to participate more fully in the story: How far would I go to survive or to obtain wealth? Would I be willing to prostitute myself to achieve my goals?
The Prostitute type almost inevitably raises questions of this type in the subtext of their presence in a story.
What brainstorming can you do with a Prostitute character type?
A Protagonist as a Prostitute would be interesting. They could get caught up in a scandal with The Powers That Be, putting him/her in danger. What about a comedy with a Prostitute forced to become a nanny (Mary Poppins: Hooker Nanny).
It’s pretty easy to imagine a Prostitute as an Attractor character, but what about Mentor? Certainly life on the streets and meeting all sorts of clientele would lead to a depth of understanding beyond that of a ‘normal’ person.
Prostitute as Trickster? That’s a good fit, too, as they are natural born survivors, and can turn from ally to enemy in a flash.
And then prostitution as a metaphor: Ask your characters, “How much of their soul have they sold to achieve their end?”
What other Prostitute character types can you think of in movies? Why do you think they make for such compelling figures?
For other Character Types, go here.
