3 thoughts on “SATURDAY SHORT: HORN (2016)”

  1. Well, the beginning had promise, but I couldn’t follow or connect the symbolism in this short. Interesting characters and odd rites that hold interest, but I didn’t get the ending or message. Doesn’t that rate as a FAIL for storytelling?

    1. It feels like Lynch meets The Lobster — both surreal and symbolist. The “delivery” of the child (was that a stork?no…). The Guardian Biker. The aging dinner served by Truckers from the 2001 Monolith school of fine dining (lifeline of food supply system in America?? C’mon Stephanie O you have to try harder than that before you cry failure). The encounter at the motel with wonderfully color-shifting dialogue, and the bedroom scene displaying the fear and excitement, awkwardness and emotional blur of intimacy. A shadowy glimpse into the music of our lives — sex and death and trombones. And then it’s over and the Guardian Biker has another on the way, presumably.

    2. Hi Druce … I considered your comments and re-watched the vid. STILL think there are fatal flaws to the storytelling. The set-up is arresting – a baby deposited by a river by its parents who suddenly transform into deer. The child sobs as the only nurturers/protectors it’s ever known bid him adieu and bound away into the forest (the pain of separation and “lost innocence” start early for this one.) The burly biker (who truly is charming as the child’s guide/mentor) LITERALLY unearths a communications device that gives him directions for his “mission”, picks up and transports the tot to an open-air diner, and prounces him a man. The confused now-adult (who ate none of the food before him, unlike the crew in tales of Odysseus) shows no sign of inner transformation, outer awareness, or understanding. The “Mary Magdalen” incident subjects BabyMan to another mysterious “rite of passage” – having his toenails shorn by a weeping woman who may or may not be a sooth-sayer. The trombone trio notwithstanding (they rocked), BabyMan is still a passive agent in the story that revolves around him. Finally, Biker Angel and BabyMan embark on their final journey and task (though it’s obvious BM doesn’t know this yet): the apparent Killing of the Self. BM is handed a rifle and told “it’s time.” Though reluctant, he performs the deed and is instantly transformed into an old man. The death of the deer is straight forward – there’s no symbolic resonance to imply this is a “holy sacrifice” OR that Time has now been “altered.” Bewildered, the old man gains his feet with the bikers assistance, then is left alone in the wood as the Biker gives him a “good work and good luck” smile and benedictive swipe-kiss before he moves on to his next supernatural gig. And that’s it – nothing’s been learned, no one’s redeemed. I suppose that might actually BE the message – “Life is pointless, so don’t worry about it much,” but I think I’m disappointed as this COULD have been something quite profound. Horns are rich symbols in mythology and the Bible, yet they’re barely even featured in a film that bears its name! In a nutshell: too many holes, and not enough connective tissue to pull the meagre story threads full circle. I’ll give it a B for effort and a C- for execution.

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