The Devil and Daniel JohnstonBipolar disorder (or manic depression) is one of the most misunderstood of psychological afflictions. At the risk of sounding pretentious, unless you're a qualified clinician or have known someone who suffers from manic depression--or have it yourself--you can't fully grasp the power it has over someone. Someone experiencing it may feel cursed, or create delusions to justify their emotions. Despite the stigma associated with mental illness, people like Daniel Johnston--a talented musician and artist, and the focus of The Devil and Daniel Johnston--pursue their dreams while walking the tightrope of productive living over the gaping abyss of self-destruction.
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The Devil and Daniel Johnston is a documentary about an underground music legend, chronicling his upbringing in West Virginia by his religious family, the advent of his musical popularity in Austin, Texas in the late Eighties, and many dark episodes that resulted in multiple instances of institutionalization. The film contains interviews with his friends and family, recalling the key moments that defined this troubled genius, as well as archival home movies, audio recordings, and his music throughout. The title of The Devil and Daniel Johnston overtly refers to the religious mania that would overtake Daniel, who would assert that Satan was trying to destroy him and everything around him. On a metaphorical level, it refers to bipolar disorder itself, which is like being bound to a veritable demon ruining everything good in your life. Daniel's mother, Mabel, recalls him as a gifted and confident young boy, placing into advanced classes in school; the sickness began to take root as he entered junior high school, and his confidence receded with it. His best friend, David Thornberry, comments that Daniel was a talented artist, drawing strange yet enticing imagery. He would spend long spans of time obsessively creating artwork in the basement, much to the dismay of his mother, who is depicted in Daniel's video dramatizations as an overbearing tyrant who accuses him of being an "unprofitable servant". Between the interviews with Daniel's parents and the archival footage, there is a sense that Daniel's obsessive passion for art and music was not fostered by his family--that it could not be productive or beneficial to his life. In another film, this would almost instantly shoehorn them in the convenient role of the woefully mistaken or narrow-minded guardians. But in The Devil and Daniel Johnston, it becomes clear that Daniel pursues his fancies with an obsessiveness that goes beyond what is healthy, and their concerns are not wholly in vain. After being shuffled around by his family, he eventually runs away and joins a circus--a carnival, actually--which takes him to the music scene in Austin, where he meets a musician named Kathy McCarthy, who gives him his break by opening for their band. Daniel carries himself with an enchanting earnestness, and despite (or because of) his weirdness, he attracts a cult following--one which only becomes more pronounced in the aftermath of the psychotic episodes that tear him away from the spotlight.
Daniel Johnston's legend as a singer/songwriter is likened to that of The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson, because of their savant-like talent with composing compelling melodies and lyrics that pluck at the audience's heartstrings, but also because of their experiences with mental illness. This raises the inescapable question of The Devil and Daniel Johnston--whether his fame is due to his abilities as a musician, or if it is a result of the mystique surrounding the man and the misunderstood behavior born from his illness. There is a "cult of personality" about Daniel Johnston; he is enigmatic, generally sweet, and most of his music is about simple pleasures, ranging from love--inspired by a torch Daniel carries for a pretty girl from his past named Laurie--to Mountain Dew. Like art, music appreciation is subjective. Some audiences may not appreciate his lo-fi tracks, but many fans resonate with the sincerity and vulnerability of his work, as he pours his soul into his music. There are performances in The Devil and Daniel Johnston that literally have Daniel in tears as he sings the music he has wrote, his passion welling up from deep inside. There must be an audience that recognizes that this is art born from something universal and true, unlike the non-threatening or uninspired mainstream dreck that dominates the airwaves. People like his dedicated manager, Jeff Tartakov, have supported Daniel through the years because they truly believe in him and his talents, even when his disease sabotages his dreams and undermines crucial opportunities. The grassroots cultivation of Daniel's fan base began with a hand-crafted cassette tape of his musical debut, "Hi, How Are You?", bearing the pleasant yet alien drawing of a frog-like creature (sometimes called "Jeremiah the Innocent"). His fans genuinely appreciate him for his craft and talent; can the same be said for everyone who comes to his performances? Daniel Johnston built up a mythos for himself following his debut in Austin, eventually uniting him with musicians like Jad Fair of Half Japanese and Sonic Youth for a recording session in New York City; but Daniel Johnston was still virtually unknown. This changed when Kurt Cobain began wearing a t-shirt advertising Daniel Johnston's debut album, signalling an instant spike in visibility for him following this bit of guerrilla marketing. Through Jeff Tartakov's help, Daniel found himself in the midst of a bidding war between two major record labels to sign the tortured genius--who was at the time committed to a mental hospital. The question lingers as to whether they pursued him because they believed in his music, or because it was just another opportunity to exploit a heretofore untapped vein for profit? That Atlantic dropped him following his underperforming first album all but answers that question. Despite this, it would be wildly unfair to consider Daniel a "failure". On the contrary, The Devil and Daniel Johnston exists not to poke fun at a man beleaguered by demons, but to call attention to both a musical talent who continues his craft from the proverbial shadows, but also invites compassion for our fellow human beings, including the diverse challenges they face and the trials they try to overcome. As Daniel's parents comment about a sign they photographed outside of a Church of Christ: "The Lord promised a safe landing, but nothing about a calm voyage".
Recommended for: Fans of an emotional documentary about a talented musician suffering from bipolar disorder, and how it affects his friends and family. Audiences who have not lived with bipolar disorder may find some of the events in The Devil and Daniel Johnston to be implausible, but it should engender sympathy for those afflicted with it, and contribute to increased understanding of the complex and insidious devil that it is those who have to cope with it day by day--be they musicians or otherwise.
Daniel Johnston's legend as a singer/songwriter is likened to that of The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson, because of their savant-like talent with composing compelling melodies and lyrics that pluck at the audience's heartstrings, but also because of their experiences with mental illness. This raises the inescapable question of The Devil and Daniel Johnston--whether his fame is due to his abilities as a musician, or if it is a result of the mystique surrounding the man and the misunderstood behavior born from his illness. There is a "cult of personality" about Daniel Johnston; he is enigmatic, generally sweet, and most of his music is about simple pleasures, ranging from love--inspired by a torch Daniel carries for a pretty girl from his past named Laurie--to Mountain Dew. Like art, music appreciation is subjective. Some audiences may not appreciate his lo-fi tracks, but many fans resonate with the sincerity and vulnerability of his work, as he pours his soul into his music. There are performances in The Devil and Daniel Johnston that literally have Daniel in tears as he sings the music he has wrote, his passion welling up from deep inside. There must be an audience that recognizes that this is art born from something universal and true, unlike the non-threatening or uninspired mainstream dreck that dominates the airwaves. People like his dedicated manager, Jeff Tartakov, have supported Daniel through the years because they truly believe in him and his talents, even when his disease sabotages his dreams and undermines crucial opportunities. The grassroots cultivation of Daniel's fan base began with a hand-crafted cassette tape of his musical debut, "Hi, How Are You?", bearing the pleasant yet alien drawing of a frog-like creature (sometimes called "Jeremiah the Innocent"). His fans genuinely appreciate him for his craft and talent; can the same be said for everyone who comes to his performances? Daniel Johnston built up a mythos for himself following his debut in Austin, eventually uniting him with musicians like Jad Fair of Half Japanese and Sonic Youth for a recording session in New York City; but Daniel Johnston was still virtually unknown. This changed when Kurt Cobain began wearing a t-shirt advertising Daniel Johnston's debut album, signalling an instant spike in visibility for him following this bit of guerrilla marketing. Through Jeff Tartakov's help, Daniel found himself in the midst of a bidding war between two major record labels to sign the tortured genius--who was at the time committed to a mental hospital. The question lingers as to whether they pursued him because they believed in his music, or because it was just another opportunity to exploit a heretofore untapped vein for profit? That Atlantic dropped him following his underperforming first album all but answers that question. Despite this, it would be wildly unfair to consider Daniel a "failure". On the contrary, The Devil and Daniel Johnston exists not to poke fun at a man beleaguered by demons, but to call attention to both a musical talent who continues his craft from the proverbial shadows, but also invites compassion for our fellow human beings, including the diverse challenges they face and the trials they try to overcome. As Daniel's parents comment about a sign they photographed outside of a Church of Christ: "The Lord promised a safe landing, but nothing about a calm voyage".
Recommended for: Fans of an emotional documentary about a talented musician suffering from bipolar disorder, and how it affects his friends and family. Audiences who have not lived with bipolar disorder may find some of the events in The Devil and Daniel Johnston to be implausible, but it should engender sympathy for those afflicted with it, and contribute to increased understanding of the complex and insidious devil that it is those who have to cope with it day by day--be they musicians or otherwise.