It’s funny. I was watching Langdon walk and move around in this short and it reminded me of something that I could not figure out at first. Langdon will move a step in one direction followed by a half step in the opposite direction looking completely confused and disoriented. It then dawned on me what it was - my friend’s baby son, who just turned one this past Saturday. I visited my friend a little more than a month ago and took about a minute’s worth of video footage on my phone of the kid trying to walk. He can only walk when he holds onto something for support at this point, but that wobbly nature is like Harry at times.
LUCKY STARS is completely surreal and this short is, at times, the most minimalist Harry has been to date. Check out that opening scene. He’s basically staring at the sky, not doing much, yet manages to be funny and captivating at the same time. When he finally does get up, he continues sky gazing while being confused like a baby in the multiple directions he takes a step. Also check him out on that train, he looks so confused and lonely. It’s worth repeating, he was a total original, no one else before him was like this that I can recall.
The beer scene with Vernon has got to be the highlight, another in my personal highlight reel of Langdon scenes. Just that glass of beer lying on the ground and the confused and disoriented Harry, deciding whether to obey the allure of alcohol or following the orders of Vernon Dent yelling at him. The topper is when Harry starts yelling at the beer the way Vernon yells at him! The constant back and forth movement and the way Langdon’s attention and motive shifts is fantastic.
Gotta give old Vernon some credit as an entertaining carny and Natalie Kingston looks gorgeous here, about the only competition to keep my eyes off Harry. Love the old Mexican town scenery and find the whole short fun to watch. Another classic.