Physical Presence

I am a fan of Hunter S. Thompson. To those folks who know me, this isn't shocking news. For those who read this blog but are unfamiliar with Thompson, uh, you're probably much more familiar than you'd ever know.

One of the better films based on some of Hunter's material was Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, starring Johnny Depp as the Hunter doppelganger and Benicio del Toro as his lawyer acquaintance Oscar Acosta. Now while the portrayals in the film of the respective historical figures by these actors were well executed, there was a certain juxtaposition on display.

For Hunter and Oscar--one a writer following the police beating of a Mexican worker, and the other a lawyer and public activist with ties to violent street gangs--their meetings had become a little too dangerous for the both of them. Thompson was contracted to write a caption for a photograph of the Mint 400, the top motorcycle race taking place in Las Vegas, and the two used the work as a way to get out of LA for a weekend.

The failed Gonzo Journalism piece followed.

The juxtaposition I'm referring to is that Johnny Depp is a slight gentleman, weighing under 160 pounds, while Benny del Toro is a good sized man, who put on forty extra pounds for the role of "Dr. Gonzo", Oscar's alter ego.

In truth it was Hunter who had the body size and girth, the real physical presence that could menace people by itself if he wanted it to. He was taller than six feet and usually tipped the scales at a healthy two-bills. Oscar, while acting menacingly, was actually only 5'5" and round, a self proclaimed Brown Bull.

This dynamic, this physical dimorphism that existed between the real Hunter and Oscar has been shown before in film, in Rango, ILM's first animated feature distributed by Nick Toons.

During a brief scene in the opening act we see the unnamed chameleon going through the act of getting stranded, an event that gets the film's plot started, and part of this has our chameleon hitting the windshield of a passing red Chevy convertible coupe with a pair of goons who resemble an idea of Hunter Thompson and Dr. Gonzo. At first this seems like a cheeky tribute to Johnny Depp--a fellow Kentucky boy and friend of Hunter--and his role in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

If you look closer, and know what to look for, you can see the physically imposing Hunter driving, actually looking like Hunter, and Oscar, in the back seat, short and round and pouring beer on his plump belly, and actually looking like Oscar.

It was one of those small moments in Rango that add to the overall pleasantness of that film.