Cryptohedonology

Cryptohedonological movie rating: A-

Celebration of idiocy and mediocrity, or of struggling genius? Daniel Johnston is a paradoxical figure: imagine a combination of Chance the Gardner, William Huang, Mark Borchardt, Syd Barret, Bob Dylan, and John Lennon rolled into one individual, not necessarily in equal proportions (left to your personal interpretation upon seeing the movie). Imagine someone making a solid, sympathetic and insightful documentary based on such a person: that’s the Devil and Daniel Johnston.

Jeff Feuerzeig’s movie charts the uncomfortable and often sad trajectory of Daniel, a driven, troubled, and self-important artist suffering from a form of bi-polar disorder. The film spans from his childhood through to the present day. There is a core of genuine melancholy rippling through the man’s work and one can’t help but be drawn to it. But genuine doesn’t make it worth music worth listening to; “genuine” is, in my opinion, a necessary, but not sufficient condition for greatness — but it might make it worth watching. Feuerzeig treats his subject with great tenderness and, staying on the kind side of voyeurism, avoids crossing the line of “spectacle” in a way Grey Gardens did not (but, in fairness, did try to avoid). The documentary is nothing short of brilliant, but why this particular story? For every Daniel Johnston, there are thousands of equally troubled artists and musicians in every generation who don’t have their story told. Is Daniel serving as a metaphor for all lost artists, or is the movie merely an effort to advertise this specific man’s works? Or perhaps, quite simply, he is an interesting film subject. His friends, the filmmaker, the family — and indeed Daniel himself — certainly believe Daniel is a revolutionary musician. They have convinced themselves of this, some through long, hard-fought decade-long battles. But does that make it true? Is he just another self-important mimicking madman, a timeless genius, or just another troubled creative guy who made some tunes?

The complexity of this character, and the awkward, dour, yet oddly hopeful sensations one is left with as a viewer, make the movie a must-see. But one can’t help but feel manipulated into being handed this character though a very specific filter. Perhaps everyone appears as a genius given the right documentary treatment.

Check it out.