Other mistake: When Anton is swinging below the bridge to rescue Tony from his hanging, he bumps into him. At that moment, Heath Ledger opens his eyes, breaking character for a split second.
Continuity mistake: Mr. Nick's cigarette appears at different lengths throughout scene 6. The cigarette appears longer immediately after appearing nearly "burnt out". (00:19:40 - 00:22:25)
Dr. Parnassus: Percy, what would I do without you?
Percy: Get a midget.
Tony: Where the hell are we?
Percy: Geographically speaking, in the Northern Hemisphere. Socially, on the margins. And narratively, with some way to go.
Tony: Nothing is permanent, not even death.
Question: What's up with Percy (the midget)? He was with Dr. Parnassus decades ago, when he won a bet with the devil to win the heart of a woman he craved, but he hasn't aged a day since. Or was that another midget and Dr. Parnassus has a tendency to pick midgets up to live in poverty by his side, and these two just happen to look identical? Both were obviously played by the same actor (Verne Troyer) and some make-up would easily disguise this, so I'm guessing this is intentional.
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Answer: Percy's backstory is never touched upon, but he certainly appears to have been with Parnassus for a substantial period of time, longer than his visual age would suggest. Possibly he himself has done his own deal with the Devil, or some other power, to extend his life, but, if so, the film never elaborates on it.
Tailkinker