Reviews

The Devil and Daniel Johnston - New to DVD

When I think of Daniel Johnston I think about how on the surface his music seems so simple. A casual listen brings out the amateurish style of Daniel’s singing and playing capabilities. Listen to that same song a few times, really listen to it and there is an odd complexity just underneath the surface. That is what made Daniel Johnston an inspiration to hundreds of musicians.

The Devil and Daniel Johnston will probably be the best documentary I see in 06. Even if you’re not a fan of Daniel Johnston (or somehow have never heard of him) this is a fascinating film. The scope encompasses Daniel showing artistic attributes as a child to present day art ventures and psychosis. Sound and movie clips from Daniel’s earlier years are made possible by Daniel taping just about everything he did. Director Jeff Feuerzeig does an astounding job of editing down years of tape, video and film to an hour and forty minutes. While I could have watched a four hour version of The Devil and Daniel Johnston, Feuerzeig focuses on the milestones and the events that shaped Daniel into what he is today.

I’m starting to get the cart before the horse. Incase you’re not familiar with Daniel Johnston he’s most known for his music. Daniel made tape recordings of his music and passed them around to anyone who would listen. Tactics like this landed him an appearance on Mtv. Aside from music Daniel does drawings and paintings of some truly interesting subjects. Like what? How about Captain America with shield in one hand and crucifix in the other. There are self portraits where the top of his head is sawed off and his brains are missing. Boxing matches with the devil. Limbless torsos. There are literally thousands of drawings. You need to see them as words seem too broad to convey the subject of emotions in them.

Daniel doesn’t make this journey alone. There is a whole cast of friends, family, musicians and managers who have helped along the way. They’re all here and their candid/direct interviews give real insight to the man and show genuine connection. It would have been easy to romanticize Daniel’s mental illness into misunderstood artist. While that is an aspect all the ugliness is there too. During the runtime Daniel will pine over girls, sing playful songs, become obsessed with religion, attack people, then scare an elderly woman so badly she jumps out of a second story window. By the end I felt a lot of sympathy for Daniel Johnston’s parents. Some of the last interview footage shows clear conflicting emotions. They’re really proud of Daniel, they love him, but there’s the pain of knowing your child will never be capable of taking care of themselves.

The man is intriguing but not someone I would want to be locked in a room with.

A must rent for fans of documentaries or music or mental illness. Filmmakers take note; this is the way documentaries should be made. You’ll be hard pressed to find another documentary with this kind of dedication, knowledge, or heart. Run to Wild and Woolly and rent this… NOW!

9.5/10
Andy

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