Rama’s SCREEN

A documentary that takes us to a trippy place, and when I say trippy, I literally mean exactly that. It’s not the production or the talking heads, it’s the fact that it’s about a guy who once loved taking acids just as much as I love doing less harmful stuff. GONZO: THE LIFE AND WORK OF HUNTER S. THOMPSON is a good tribute to… the journalist who was passionate, eccentric and with an ability to make his readers go on a big giant hallucinogenic road to facts, fiction and humor.

From Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney and producer Graydon Carter comes a probing look into the uncanny life of national treasure and gonzo journalism inventor Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. A fast moving, wildly entertaining documentary with an iconic soundtrack, the film addresses the major touchstones in Thompson’s life—his intense and ill fated relationship with the Hell’s Angels, his near-successful bid for the office of sheriff in Aspen in 1970, the notorious story behind the landmark Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, his deep involvement in Senator George McGovern’s 1972 presidential campaign, and much more. Narrated by Johnny Depp.

From time to time comes a long someone who would stand out and be different from any other. In the case of Hunter S. Thompson, he created his own style of writing that attracts loyal fans and reader of different kinds, including celebrities and politicians. The way he describes something or someone with the means of comparing them to either an animal or nature moving in a certain way, that entertaining style makes a reader want to turn the page and ask for more.
Hunter would add in his own stuff to exaggerate the reality and to influence others. His intention for the most part was sincere, his method was unorthodox.

Director Alex Gibney gives this documentary some solid grounds of credibility through his success of interviewing great men who at one point or another were either the object of Hunter’s mockery or the reason for his determination in continuing to write politics.
This movie will take you to the life of a man drowned in his obsession with having fun through guns, sex, and free speech attitude, that his role as a husband took second place.

One thing I’m not too fond of regarding this documentary is that it goes too deeply into the backstory of the political events that Hunter encountered. Not that it was not an important part of history but often times you wonder where the movie’s taking you before you return to the Gonzo man again.
It’s cool to have Johnny Depp be the narrator and he reads some excellent excerpts from some of Hunter’s famous books, Hells Angels is one example. The lines are simply poetic.

It’s disappointing to see that the movie choose not to show briefly any behind-the-scene footage of the making of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas which is based on one of Hunter’s best book.
At least show some sort of archive footage of Hunter S. Thompsong meeting Johnny Depp for the first time, or was Hunter involved at all in the production? Was he a consultant?

Despite his addiction to acid and every drug there is, one good thing we can learn is that Hunter Thompson was passionate about making America better, he would support those he believed would have the potential to make America better. He wasn’t just standing on the sideline, criticizing, he was there when it happened.
Overall, I think GONZO: THE LIFE AND WORK OF HUNTER S. THOMPSON is a well-made documentary that would contribute some good to the next generation of America.

* Place the cursor on the image below to check my grade for this film