El Wray

El Wray is a fictional character from Robert Rodriguez's 2007 double feature film Grindhouse, segment Planet Terror. He is portrayed by Freddy Rodriguez and is the movie's main Protagonist.

Appearances

Wray is portrayed as a loner by nature, owning and maintaining his own wrecking yard, but underneath his average joe demeanor is a past that slowly shines through when the film progresses and his life is threatened. He's often to himself, going AbOUT quietly on a day to day basis, but when speaking to those he knows, Wray is what one would call blunt. He's not a bullshitter and tells it how it is, often his words appearing harsh, but that's just how he is. It's even possible that he has a dry sense of humor, as his friends say, but he doesn't see it.

When meeting up with his old girlfriend at "The Bone Shack," Cherry, and offering to give her a ride to the city, the two are attacked by a hoard of infected people simply known as "sickos." When Cherry is dragged out of the truck, it is revealed that Wray cares deeply for her and fights off the group to ensure her safety, but unfortunately she's lost a leg in the battle. With his car completely flipped over, Wray carries her to the hospital and never once decides to leave her side showing that, despite their out falling, Wray still cares deeply for her.

Shortly after describing his encounter to the paramedics, SHERIFF Hague arrives, and due to a rocky history between the two in the past, detains Wray for owning and handling a rifle when he was under strict order not to. It's given that Wray isn't one to obey by the rules and while in the police station, Wray demands his phone call. Just as he's gathered enough sources from his call, revealing that Wray has contacts to some illegal information regarding DC2, an attack led on by one of the infected begins and Wray knows that Cherry's life is in danger at the hospital.

With Sheriff Hague in the passenger seat, clearly still not convinced about Wray's story and wanting to know what was going on, the two arrive at the hospital where dozens flee from the premises. Unable to still handle a gun, Wray reaches into his glove compartment and takes out a knife. During his venture into the hospital, Wray's techniques and knife tricks are not handled by normal, everyday citizens and one can assume he was once a part of the special forces. Finding Cherry, Wray is very stern with her and despite her crying, he tries cheering her up by telling her that some of the best jokes are about cripples. When she still refuses to stand, Wray has to take the initiative and force her up by sticking a wooden table leg into her stump.

They successfully make it back to "The Bone Shack" and spending some quality time alone, Cherry finds an engagement ring in Wray's jacket that she'd taken when they'd broke up but never found it until now. Taking off his shirt and revealing an assortment of scars, bullet wounds, and tattoos, (showcasing that Wray is more than who he appears) Wray and Cherry make love, but the film soon burns out and replaces the footage with a "Missing Reel" card until seconds later the film has gone to hell. During the missing reel, it is apparent that Wray has revealed who he really is to Sheriff Hague and demands that all the guns are given to him. Once Wray has obtained the guns, there is something different in him, the others quote "He's got the devil in him" and quickly Wray takes control of the scene and becomes who he once was.

With "The Bone Shack" being ransacked, and Sherif Hague wounded, the survivors flee the scene and plan to head to Mexico, but are stopped shortly when a group of "sickos" appear, shortly followed by the military. Wray is knocked unconscious when Lt. Muldoon announces that all survivors are to follow him and address that "El Wray" come to, showing that the two knew each other in the past. He wakes with the others in a quarantine cell and learns that Abby, an old accomplish, was supplying the military with the DC2 because they'd been infected themselves. A group of soldiers come to take Cherry and DAKOTA away and when a new group of soldiers shortly appear, Wray quickly disarms the men and escapes with Abby where they find Lt. Muldoon and learn of his reasoning behind stealing the DC2. Wray shoots Lt. Muldoon after he mutates and honorably states "God bless you and your service to this country."

Cherry and Dakota stop the soldiers and while opening the door to escape, meet up with Wray, who has a present for Cherry, an M16 rifle, and attaches it to her stump. He announces that he's always believed in her and that she deserved much better, and with that bit of encouragement, she blasts the soldiers, the survivors escape and the base explodes. Learning that there are helicopters on base, Cherry and Wray shoot their way across the field and make an opening for the survivors, but unfortunately Wray is shot down after shooting a group of "sickos" who nearly attack Cherry. Racing to his side, Cherry demands that he get up, but they both know that this is goodbye. Crying now, Cherry repeats "Two against the world" and Wray assures her that it'll always be and touches her stomach, indicating that she is pregnant. He then dies in her arms.

At the end of the movie, Cherry leads the group of survivors into Mexico, with a newly born infant on her back; Wray's daughter. {{-}}

Characterization

From the official site;

Owner of a Junkyard by trade and loner by reputation, Wray's closest compadres are his armory of secrets. When all hell breaks loose and Wray is forced to battle a hospital filled with aggressive, infected patients, his long-hidden true identity finds its way to the surface. Everyone in his wake discovers that this boy's just got the devil in him. By the end of one horrifying night, Wray will bring new meaning to "Wray's Wreckage."

Freddy Rodriquez has also said;

I play Wray or El Wray. He's kind of a mysterious character. The film takes place in Texas, and by his appearance, the way he talks, and who he is, Wray is clearly not from Texas. We really don't know who he is or where he's from. He's kind of a loner. As the movie unfolds, you see different layers of Wray being peeled away, and you see more and more of who he is until ultimately, in the other movie, it's revealed fully who he is. Cherry is an old girlfriend of Wray's. And at the beginning of the movie he reconnects with her after a period of time so there's that sort of weird energy that goes on between a couple after they've not seen each other for a long time, a little [...] tension too. And when all hell breaks loose in the town, Wray does everything he can to save her.

Trivia

The name "El Wray" May Be a reference to the place El Rey mentioned in Robert Rodriguez's From Dusk Till Dawn, and borrowed as a reference from Sam Peckinpah's classic actioner The Getaway. It also may be a nod to the late guitarist Link Wray whose songs have been featured in both Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino's films. It should also be noted that the term "El Rey" in Spanish translates to "The King".

References

1. In-depth description of the movie events and the above character's role in them.