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Since 1996 |
Your Gateway to Music and More from a Christian Perspective Slow down as you approach the gate, and have your change ready....
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Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (documentary) Stars: Johnny Depp (narrator), George McGovern, Jimmy Carter, Pat Buchanan, Tom Wolfe, Ralph Steadman, Jimmy Buffett and Jann Werner Director/Scriptwriter: Alex Gibney Magnolia Pictures Rating: R for language and scenes of drug and alcohol use Running Length: 120 minutes Where is Hunter S. Thompson (1939-2005) when you need him? If he were alive today, one would wonder what comments he would have on the current U. S. policy in Iraq and the status of our presidential race. Thompson had written much about the war in Viet Nam and the 1972 and 1976 presidential races. Candidates either live or on footage are Richard Nixon, George McGovern, Thomas Eagleton and Ed Muskie. Thompson is famous for coining the phrase “gonzo journalism” in which the journalist/writer opinion supersedes all. This “damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead” attitude is prevalent today, as I have met many a bulldog with the name of Gonzo who dominates their neighborhood. This documentary by Alex Gibney (who won the 2007 Academy Award for his documentary “Taxi to the Dark Side”) is two hours of footage on Thompson, plus interviews with George McGovern, Jimmy Carter, Pat Buchanan, Thompson’s first and second wives, Jimmy Buffett and writer Tom Wolfe, among others. Though Thompson had an acidic, sharp personality and could skewer one handily with words, those interviewed had a certain respect for him. No matter what, he wrote what he felt, in fact, he even got away with making up material for his articles. One famous one is when he wrote about presidential candidate Ed Muskie using a drug called Ibogaine which was supposedly obtained from a mysterious South American doctor. It wasn’t true, but made headlines at the time. What happened to Thompson? Nothing. His ladder remained unshaken. Frank Mankiewicz, George McGovern’s campaign manager in 1972 says in the film, “Of all the correspondents, he (Thompson) was the least factual, but the most accurate.” Thompson liked McGovern as a candidate, but abhorred Richard Nixon, whom he depicted as a vampire. Thompson was famous for his articles in Rolling Stone magazine and his books, which began with “Fear and Loathing in…..” Actor Johnny Depp, narrates this film and was the star of Thompson’s adapted book “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.” Another famous book resulted from Thompson’s year of living and riding with the Hell’s Angels. What we glean from this documentary is that Hunter S. Thompson was certainly a complex, egotistical man. He abused drugs and alcohol, had over 20 guns, possessed a sarcastic wit, but still seemed to leave people liking him. One wonders, if, in the end, Hunter S. Thompson really liked himself? Copyright 2008 Marie Asner
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