LUCKY

US, 2017, 88 minutes, Colour.
Harry Dean Stanton, David Lynch, Ron Livingston, Ed Begley Jr, Tom Skerritt, Beth Grant, James Darren, Barry Shabaka Henley, Yvonne Huff, Hugo Armstrong.
Directed by John Carroll Lynch.

It is not everyone who has the opportunity to make a film of their epitaph. But, this is the case with Harry Dean Stanton, his last film, drawing on aspects of his own life, something of an epitaph portrait.

It is also an elegy for Harry Dean Stanton, his career, his way of life, his screen images – and, before he walks along the desert road the end of the film, he actually does look straight into the camera and, rather gently, smiles.

While there are narrative aspects of the screenplay, the film is more of a character portrait, perhaps too slow for those who have action compulsions, but rewarding for those who are able to stay quietly with Lucky and the inevitability of his moving towards death. The tagline for the film is “the spiritual journey of an atheist�. While this is basically true, Lucky is not a rabid atheist but, rather, a Texan humanist.

Harry Dean Stanton has appeared in a number of films over many decades, something of a figurehead for many independent films, including those of David Lynch. However, he is best known for his lead role in the 1984 Wim Wenders film, Paris, Texas. Interesting to note that in the final song in the film (and there are a number of songs whose lyrics contemplate death, life, darkness…), The Moonshine Man, there is mention of Stanton by name and also a reference to Paris, Texas.

The location of this film doesn’t seem to be all that far from Paris, Texas. It is a small town in the south-west, and in the desert (with opportunities for some fine desert scenery). Lucky, his nickname because of his job in the Navy during World War II, lives alone, never married, in a modern enough house. We see him get up in the morning, turn on the radio, light a cigarette (he is most definitely a smoker, defending it though sacked from a restaurant job for lighting up while working there). He does exercises, gets dressed, walks/shuffles to a diner for breakfast where he is friendly with the manager and the assistant, chatting, being quiet, doing word puzzles and reflecting on the meaning of “realism�. He later declares his belief in ‘truth’ as a thing.

He wanders around the town, buy some milk for his fridge (the only thing there) and is friendly with the shopkeeper who later invites him to the fiesta, many Hispanics in the town, for her son’s 10th birthday. In the background, frequently there is The Red River Valley on a harmonica.

At night he goes to the bar, drinks, talks to friends, is quiet, listens to the barkeeper (Hugo Armstrong) who has a long sequence of explaining the mechanism of Deal No Deal which Lucky doesn’t think much of. The proprietor is Elaine, Beth Grant, who has some raucous stories of her own but who is very fond of her long-time partner, Paulie, star of the past, James Darren, and, especially, his friend, Howard, who is lamenting the loss of his pet tortoise, President Roosevelt. He is played by David Lynch, making a tribute to Stanton by appearing in the film, and has a very fine speech about loneliness and his devotion to his tortoise.

There is a bitter moment when an insurance salesman, Bob (Ron Livingston), is putting pressure on Howard and is attacked with Lucky’s disapproval. But, there are moments of redemption, with Bob later visiting the town, getting Lucky’s cold and silent treatment but taking the initiative, breaking through, telling some stories about himself and his daughter with Lucky responding well. A Marine veteran (Tom Skerritt), stops for a drink and shares a poignantly reminiscing chat with Lucky about their war service, in Asia, in the Philippines. Happiness and regrets.

But, Lucky has a blackout and fall, goes to the doctor, Ed Begley Jr, gets advice but realises he has to prepare for death, which, for him, is simply a void, the end of everything.

Speaking of redemption, there is a wonderful sequence when Lucky goes to the fiesta, is welcomed by the mother and her son, the woman introducing him to her mother who does not speak much English. A Mariachi band plays and, suddenly and unexpectedly, Lucky breaks into a plaintive song in Spanish, a beautiful moment revealing the humanity of Lucky.

It is not surprising to find that Lucky won the Ecumenical Award at the 2017 Locarno Film Festival.

1. The title? Lucky’s war service? The familiar name around the town?

2. A character of Southwest Texas, of the town? The streets, the diner, the bar, shops, the buildings, homes? The interiors? The countryside, the desert, dry, cactus, mountains and rocks?

3. The songs, the refrain of the Red River Valley, the harmonica? The songs of life and its meaning, of darkness? The finale with Moonshine Man and the reference to Harry Dean Stanton and Paris, Texas.

4. Harry Dean Stanton, his age, career, Kentucky origins, Navy service? Acting? His music? The range of characters? His look at 90, scrawny and gaunt? His face, close-ups and expressiveness? His hair, clothes?

5. Harry Dean Stanton as Lucky? Drawing on his own life? The film as an epitaph for him? An elegy and his swansong?

6. The humanity of the film, the spiritual journey of an atheist? His approach to life, death, the end and emptiness? Approaching death? Asking who we are, nothing, the prospective void, yet living? Smoking and his surviving? His exploration of “realism�, “truth�? Loving, but not marrying? The Navy commitment and action, the reminiscing with the visiting Marine, the story of his smoking at the restaurant and being sacked, his swearing every time he passed? Yet benign at the end?

7. His routine, waking, the radio, the exercise, the cigarettes, dressing, the drink of milk, going for breakfast at the diner, wandering, watering the plants, going to the shop to buy the milk? Smoking?

8. The gallery of friends:

• Vincent: the bartender, friendliness, chatting, the explanation of Deal or No Deal?

• Elaine, the owner, tough, the telling stories, relationship with Paulie, forbidding Lucky to smoke, his challenging her, listening to his stories about the meaning of life, bewildered, finally lenient?

• Paulie, seeing himself as nothing, looking in the mirror and seeing his face, being rescued by Elaine, her accepting him as he was, their partnership, the long time, friendly, chatting in the bar, wanting peace, stopping Lucky fighting the insurance man? The strange sequence of his walking into the red light red bar area?

• The assistant at the diner, friendly, her background, visiting him at home, her concern, she and Lucky smoking pot together?

• The shopkeeper, buying the milk, the chat, letting her keep the change, the photo of her son, the invitation to the fiesta?

• The Marine, friendly, the chat, the reminiscences about the service, in Asia?

• Howard, David Lynch, his pet tortoise, President Roosevelt, the lost tortoise, his talk in the bar, lonely, Lucky challenging him about the insurance man, his speech about life, death, loneliness and the importance of the tortoise?

• The insurance man, his discussion with Howard, Lucky attacking him, wanting to fight? His not wanting to fight? His return, Lucky silent, asking to sit with Lucky, telling the story about his daughter, the gesture, Lucky mellowing?

9. The symbol of the tortoise, in the desert at the opening, at the end and its crawl? A symbol of age, life, survival?

10. Lucky, his fall, going to the doctor, the discussion, care, impending death, cheerful? In the bar, drinking, his aggression, calming down – and the surreal dream of the little regret and the entry, his waking?

11. Going to the fiesta, his being welcomed, the mother and her son, the Mariachi band, standing on the side, being introduced to the mother, her not speaking English? Lucky’s singing, the emotion, the effect, the response? A symbol, joy and beauty?

12. The bar, the argument about his being sacked, the cigarettes? His swearing at the other restaurant, passing it later in peace?

13. His looking into the camera and smiling, and walking away?