Spring Break
Gonzo goes global
A video review
Zack Taylor
Issue date: 9/15/08 Section: Entertainment
Viewers with even a passing knowledge of Gonzo journalist Dr. Hunter S. Thompson know that in a documentary about his life, certain topics are sure to be addressed: drugs, guns, rock and roll, and journalism. The documentary, "Gonzo: The Life and Works of Hunter S. Thompson" delivers on all these, as any documentary on Thompson should do.
Thompson did lead an excessive life, but unlike the previous movies about the famous Gonzo journalist, "Where the Buffalo Roam" (1980) and "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" (1998), this documentary highlights Thompson's motives rather than the sensationalism of his character. The reality, the film shows us, is that there was more substance to his character than just substance abuse: it takes us through his initial idealism and willingness to change what he saw as a flawed system to his eventual disillusionment and the despondency of his old age.
One aspect of "Gonzo: The Life and Works of Hunter S. Thompson" worth noting is its eclectic cast of interviewees. They range from social figures such as former Hell's Angels leader Sonny Barger, singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffet, journalist Tom Wolfe, and visual artist Ralph Steadman to political figures such as George McGovern and Pat Buchanan, all of whom were participants in at least one period in Thompson's life.
A truly spectacular point comes in the film by the way of an interview with Jann Werner, co-founder of Rolling Stone magazine, is asked to talk about the death of Thompson. Instead of answering, Werner turns his head from the camera and with tears in his eyes states that he can't bring himself to talk about it, hitting home the fact that Hunter S. Thompson was more than just a sensational cultural figure but also a very real man whose living presence touched the lives of family, friends and many others.
The film is really about Thompson's ideals and motives for the actions that came to define him in the public eye. It is about how he fought so hard to change what he saw around him, whether it be at a local level, such as when he ran for sheriff of Aspen, Colorado under the "Freak Power" banner, or a national level, such as when he covered the 1972 election in support of McGovern.
Thompson came to see many of his endeavors for change as failures, and eventually saw even himself as a big failure. "I'm an idiot, I'm a fool, I know," the film quotes him as having said near the end of his life, "but I've been a good read, right?" The film as a whole isn't entirely tragic, however. Interviewees agree that Thompson did leave an indelible mark; even former enemies such as Pat Buchanan admitted that much. Hunter S. Thompson bought his ticket took the ride, and when he was finished he walked away.
Thompson did lead an excessive life, but unlike the previous movies about the famous Gonzo journalist, "Where the Buffalo Roam" (1980) and "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" (1998), this documentary highlights Thompson's motives rather than the sensationalism of his character. The reality, the film shows us, is that there was more substance to his character than just substance abuse: it takes us through his initial idealism and willingness to change what he saw as a flawed system to his eventual disillusionment and the despondency of his old age.
One aspect of "Gonzo: The Life and Works of Hunter S. Thompson" worth noting is its eclectic cast of interviewees. They range from social figures such as former Hell's Angels leader Sonny Barger, singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffet, journalist Tom Wolfe, and visual artist Ralph Steadman to political figures such as George McGovern and Pat Buchanan, all of whom were participants in at least one period in Thompson's life.
A truly spectacular point comes in the film by the way of an interview with Jann Werner, co-founder of Rolling Stone magazine, is asked to talk about the death of Thompson. Instead of answering, Werner turns his head from the camera and with tears in his eyes states that he can't bring himself to talk about it, hitting home the fact that Hunter S. Thompson was more than just a sensational cultural figure but also a very real man whose living presence touched the lives of family, friends and many others.
The film is really about Thompson's ideals and motives for the actions that came to define him in the public eye. It is about how he fought so hard to change what he saw around him, whether it be at a local level, such as when he ran for sheriff of Aspen, Colorado under the "Freak Power" banner, or a national level, such as when he covered the 1972 election in support of McGovern.
Thompson came to see many of his endeavors for change as failures, and eventually saw even himself as a big failure. "I'm an idiot, I'm a fool, I know," the film quotes him as having said near the end of his life, "but I've been a good read, right?" The film as a whole isn't entirely tragic, however. Interviewees agree that Thompson did leave an indelible mark; even former enemies such as Pat Buchanan admitted that much. Hunter S. Thompson bought his ticket took the ride, and when he was finished he walked away.
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