When I first popped this DVD into my player, I was utterly caught off guard. Unlike anything I've ever seen before, The Devil and Daniel Johnston covers the life of a genius music writer who is manic depressant. The film itself was eye-opening. How much heart break, yet triumph someone can go through simultaneously is astounding.
The entire energy of the film was unique. Mixing audio, home video, and current video, this piece of cinema gives the film an authentic feel and the viewer almost gets a firsthand experience of the life of Daniel Johnston.
There was a point in the film where Daniel says a line that really struck me, something to the accord of, "I'm on memory lane with a flat tire." Such a genius lyric.
It's amazing the solace that someone with such a terrible disorder can be such a genius musically. It makes me think about the times I've heard about kids with autism being musically gifted, and then makes me think of how marvelous and mysterious the human brain is.
This film was an eye-opening experience into the life of a manic depressant. Heartbreaking and triumphant, The Devil and Daniel Johnston is a film that is both unique and astonishing. Thanks for the film selection, Brian, it certainly has opened my eyes to the touching, poignant, and staggering life and own world of Daniel Johnston.
My pleasure, Geo. I have a "best of" CD of his that is just utterly, heart-stompingly brilliant. It's a movie that after seeing it initially I couldn't get out of my thoughts or heart. Daniel's story is deeply moving and fascinating.
ReplyDeleteit is so interesting how he seemingly just taught himself how to play these instruments and where exactly these ideas all come from; they mentioned the girlfriend, but it seems to me as if Daniel himself has to be convinced of it near the end, maybe his bad memory. as it ends, you have the sense that he has felt love himself but no woman has felt that way about him, which is truly sad
ReplyDeletehe did genuinely love Laurie.. - in the bonus features there's a moment where at the screening of the film they surprisingly flew Laurie in and let her see Daniel for the first time in years.. - it's pretty touching.. Daniel proposes to her almost immediately.. - there's also a moment after one of the screenings where actor John C. Riley comes up to congratulate Daniel and Johnston has no idea who he is and just treats him like any other stranger..
ReplyDeleteThe whole idea of mental handicaps is an interesting one. Yes it is outside the norm, but if it allows for this amount of artistic creativity and output, then maybe it shouldn't be considered a handicap but instead just someone with their own unique skills and challenges.
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