Jackson Pollock, a Bicycle, and a Case of Schlitz


Above is one of my favorite mixes of slapstick humor, showing instead of telling, and skilled filmmaking. If you don't know, this is Ed Harris portraying the legendary painter Jackson Pollock in the 2000 film "Pollock." The film is rather slow and meandering but Harris is excellent in it and of course this happened.

I love this clip for so many reasons.

First off it is an absurd bit of comedy; a drunk man riding a bicycle with a heavy case of beer eventually falling and losing all his beer. That is grade A, silent film comedy. Buster Keaton couldn't have done it better (although he would have shot it in wide, the standard for comedy).

Second, it's a single shot, tells you so much about the characters foibles, and if you're really paying attention you see the camera bobbles when Harris hits the pavement which lets you know the bike crash was likely unintended as the camera gives itself away at that moment (breaking with the style of the film). That is competent filmmaking by the self-directing Ed Harris to not call cut, instead realizing this was shot was gold.

Third, Ed Harris never breaking character is just top notch acting. I mean the dude cuts his hand, nearly breaking his wrists in the process.

Fourth and finally, it can play as a comedy and a tragedy. This person is so trapped by his issues he needs that beer on the road, damn the consequences. So much so in fact that immediately before this oner Pollock trades one of his works -priceless no doubt- for the ill-fated case of beer. That is addiction.


Look, it's no secret I love movies; I have a podcast, I write/direct/produce short films, I produce television content for a living, and when inclined I write about film online. The podcast site is one reason I don't blog here as much. But I figured this odd scene and my longstanding admiration for it excised from a film I don't champion would make for a fun post on the OG blog. Who knows, maybe I can replicate this in one of my projects. cheers!

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