midgets


uh, why did the 1 midget start beating the other midget and why did the camera linger on them for so long?
(during the chase scene on the pier)

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[deleted]

The whole film has fantasy elements- ie George tells Thomas his life as a novel style plot- because he cannot cope

By focussing on the midgets, it detracts from the severity of the situation, lightens the atmosphere as you know something bad is going to happen.

One hits the other, as they get pushed into each other, and are on each others "pitch"

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The midgets are also mimicing the actions going on between George and the "thugs".

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It was Wally and Fidget from Time Bandits! (another George Harrison-produced film).

Well, Jack Purvis and Kenny Baker, anyway. Love those guys.

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[deleted]

Without disagreeing with the other comments, another reason for lingering on the short people is to make a reference -- one of many in the movie -- to the very strange novel "The Deadly Percheron" by Bardin.

The white horse (seen shortly after George rescues Cathy) is another reference to the book. Ditto the discussions between George and Thomas about a midget murdering opera singers.

The book and the film have dissimilar plots, but the themes are the same: how much of what you believe is true is true? Of the poeple you trust, who should you trust? The film implies, perhaps, that people love their illusions, and stick with them -- like the "ornamental spaghetti" that George reports sold "like hotcakes."

As another poster here pointed out, one upshot of this is to wonder a little about the ending -- happy on the whole, but with the Nat King Cole's "Mona Lisa" playing over it, perhaps not entirely to be believed.

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Because little things hitting each other is the funniest thing in the world! At least that`s what Napoleon thought, anyway...



"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan

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Can't really improve on what's already been said as far as what purpose the scene plays in the movie, but:

The overt, 'real life' thing that's going on is that the little people are busking. When George and the others run through there fighting, all the crowd's attention naturally turns to them. Being wise street performers, the buskers make a big show of 'fighting' to get the crowd's attention back on them--otherwise, no tips!

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Well thought out. :)

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