Terry Zwigoffs Crumb as an Example of True Documentary - Essay Example

The following essay will comment on, explain, and discuss the given quotation using documentary film “Crumb” by Terry Zwigoff as an example. The quotation to be reviewed with a help of the mentioned movie consists of the following statement: “…documentary is not a reproduction of reality, it is a representation of the world we already occupy” (Nichols, 2010). This statement is very truthful, accurate and fact-based because it draws clear distinction line that separates documentary films from fiction ones. Reproduction of reality is the way of imagination and art in its most direct form through creating something new. Unlike it documentary films even though imagination and art appear in them just as well still act as a representation of reality instead of being reality’s reproduction for whatever reasons are necessary (stylistic, ideological, cultural). The film “Crumb” was praised by critics highly. It is an interesting choice because “Crumb” tells about one of the most imaginative artistic forms ever created. The movie that is going to be analyzed in the provided here study to comprehend clearly and evaluate mentioned statement tells a story of a famous, legendary, and cult underground comic book creator whose craft itself was a reproduction of reality. Considering this context between the documentary feature itself and the content it carries the thesis of the following paper can be stated as following: “Documentary movie “Crumb” accurately illustrates and points out the distinction between documentary cinematic craft and fiction cinematic art due to its high quality and surprisingly appropriate content”.

“Crumb” is a documentary film about the legendary underground cartoonist named Robert Crumb. Jeffery Anderson from the “San Francisco Examiner” claimed it to be “the greatest documentary ever made” (Rollyson, 2006). To present another critical evaluation supporting the choice of this documentary it will be said that one of the greatest critics Roger Ebert’s gave “Crumb” maximum 4 out of 4 stars. What is it that makes “Crumb” such success even for those who are not interested much in comic-culture or underground artistic forms? Among many other things it is the content, precisely the very eccentric, interesting, and deeply touching movie’s main character Robert Crumb himself. Even though Crumb is a comic-book artist his persona is original to a point where he can become interested even for those people who doesn’t know anything about popular art or have never read comics themselves (Duncan & Smith, 2013). Perhaps such viewers will even enjoy it more because “Crumb” doesn’t talk about comics as an industry but it talks mainly about comics from Crumb’s perspective. For example, in 1960s Robert Crumb drew and designed cover for “Cheap Thrills”, a psychedelic, blues, rock & roll album by Big Brother & The Holding Company. It is exactly this work that is the most popular artwork done by Crumb even though it is not a comic-book but an album cover (in a form of comics still). This exact album was a “magnum opus” of Janis Joplin, a legendary figure and an idol of the Hippie-Era, member of Forever 27 Club, and one of the most powerful, energetic, and talented blue-vocalists ever.

“Crumb” is an observational documentary with minimum intervention from its director. We are introduced to a real life of comic industry’s legend. There are no interviews, no questions, no particular message – just Crumb himself, his interests, his view of life and his craft supported by statements of his relatives and close ones. Retrospection that is portrayed in “Crumb” is not only a visual retrospective in a documentary form but a personal evaluation of Crumb’s past as well (Chute, 2016). Because at the time when the film was created Crumb was about to leave America (which he criticized really a lot being himself a misanthrope, perhaps even a little bit of a marginal) and move to Paris. Therefore, Crumb retrospectively evaluates his professional career that was established in America while Zwigoff records Crumb’s self-reflective opinions, thoughts, and arguments. It is a story about a man, about his professional work, about his life and his own view of his existence (Aufderheide, 2007).

“Crumb” doesn’t reproduce anything. This brilliant documentary in some ways can be called “a slice of life” because it literally just allows Mr. Crumb to present himself personally while walking, listening to music, talking to his relatives etc. In fact, this is what a documentary should be ideal. Many different critics and scholars pointed out this significance of minimal interference with filmed content. Some intrusion, even in forms of interviews, can be viewed as a restrictive feature. Remembering Bob Dylan’s famous interviews it may be stated that often questions asked or conditions applied to the documentary’s characters can often be misleading, strange, superficial, or even stupid. Bob Dylan was shocked when reporters tried to find out things that he himself couldn’t even formulate and about which, truly, he wasn’t even thinking of (Misiroglu, 2015). Therefore, “Crumb” succeeds also because it is definitely a genuine example of an observational documentary that allows its theme and content talk for themselves.

“Crumb” can be named a Direct Cinema film because it is an observational documentary. Crumb has a great soundtrack which helps to understand film’s content better and makes events, people, and places in the film come and go smoothly. For example, when Crumb tells about his collection of vinyl records, and then, playing one of them, sits on the floor in his special records’ room in front of the vinyl-player we listen to blues just as Crumb does. Crumb loved blues, collected really old records, and even drew a whole deck of cards (collectibles) in which each famous bluesman occupied a separated card with his name engraved on it. This also shows Crumb from another perspective where he appears not just a comic-book artist but a music fan whose admiration for blues is worthy recognition (Aitken, 2008).

“Crumb” doesn’t make any comments, suggestions or judgments. There is no ideology and there are no given answers. What each viewer should decide after being introduced to this magnificent documentary is whether personality of Robert Crumb is interesting or not or whether this personality deserves to be paid attention to. Different critics, friends, relatives comment on and give their statement regarding Crumb’s artistic heritage, his influence, his style, his character, and his worldview (Chute, 2016). This entire glimpse into Crumb-artist is nevertheless balanced by Crumb-man, living to be responsible for the cultural-artistic effect made by Crumb-artist (MacCabe & Warner, 2011). So it is not just an introduction to Crumb’s life and his character because this documentary is also a research on Crumb as a phenomenon of popular art (Fairbanks, 2005). Viewers are introduced to how he came to be, his experiences with LSD, his inactive participation in the subcultural revival of 1960s which, even though he doesn’t like it quite well, made it possible for Crumb’s comic to be published. All in all, documentary serves a great source material and it gathers together all that Crumb created for almost 30 years of his artistic activity as an underground comic-book creator (Gabbard, 2011).

It is now a point to give critical evaluation concerning documentary not as a reproduction of reality but as its representation. As this film is about the artist, this same artist will be taken for a comparison. It is hard to find more imaginative and fantastic reading than comics. The foundation of comics and its establishing basics were grounded on fantasy, science-fiction, humor, and fantastic elements (Duncan & Smith, 2013). Being empowered by psychedelic revival of 1960s Crumb’s artwork can be described best being called a fantasy (Dormehl, 2012). It is a fantasy with social sub-context, political implications, racial issues, war, feminism, LGBT etc. But still it is fantasy and this fantasy presents complete worldview and ideology no matter how complex or, on the contrary, unbelievably plain and simple they may appear (Holm, 2004). This is a reproduction of reality where author’s voice, his or her viewpoint, and ideology appear as central and through which content’s message is projected (Chute, 2016). Fiction is a reproduction of reality in order to overcome it, represent it in a different light, inspire action or participation etc.

Documentary art is entirely different form of creativity or at least it should aim to be so ideally. Watching “Crumb” viewer doesn’t see any judgments made by Zwigoff, and there isn’t any kind of restriction as to how it is better for Crumb to present himself. Zwigoff acts simply and ordinarily (only superficially though because truly he is a master of both fiction and documentary) as a man with a camera. “Crumb” illustrates clearly that documentary film is not a mirror but a window that presents reality as it is – real, direct, and pure. It is also very interesting that here in the film itself there is a nice example of a real reproduction of reality. Comic books serve as very appropriate material to compare and contrast documentary with them. It is fair to say that documentary and comics (Crumb’s comics in particular) exist on two opposite poles with documentary films being projections of reality while comics are projections of fantasy. Both these poles do the necessary thing, there is no right or wrongs here. There are documentary comics as well (but their amount is rather small) just as there are mockumentaries, documentaries that change reality (“Exit Through the Gift Shop) and many others because the world is full of original, fresh, and innovative approaches (Barnouw, 2016). But “Crumb” gives reality as it is – unchanged and without any forced judgments or ready conclusions.

Reproduction of reality is an attempt to make something new by mixing elements of this reality and representing them in a different light, showing these elements from a different perspective. In the word “documentary” there is a verb “document”. That means that documentary’s first and main task is not to create but to document what has been already created. Crumb creates while Zwigoff documents. Documentary is also a work of art but its aims are different. Documentary shifts reality by pointing out an issue, posing a problem or simply informing like news broadcasts. News reports don’t create events as they just document them making them known. News broadcasts shape events into the news by documenting them. Documentary can be called “old news” or eternally topical broadcast because documentary makes its content significant by representing it in a way that makes it valuable. That is why each documentary director is without any doubt an artist even though a director can’t and shouldn’t create in the most panoptic meaning of this world. Documentary director is a mediator while any other kind of artist is a source. In “Crumb” we can see how source and mediator participate, creating the whole picture (Geiger, 2011).

Terry Zwigoff’s “Crumb” is his magnum opus. This work introduces Zwigoff as a professional documentary director. Considering high critical acclaim that it received and keeping in mind its successful narrative techniques, observational elements, editing, composition, message, ideas etc. it will be fair to say that this documentary feature proves the statement given by Mr. Nichols in his book. Documentary is something other than art because documentary’s main aim is not to force viewer to make judgments but to inform making audience better comprehend the reality that is already occupied by them. Art is mirror but documentary is a window. Therefore, observational documentary like “Crumb” can be named with full confidence an etalon of a documentary film. Everything in “Crumb” works for its benefit and the story of the underground comic book artist creates an important contrast with which it becomes possible to define the art of documentary as a representation of reality and not as a reproduction of reality. Summarizing everything and concluding this humble study it appears appropriate to add that documentaries will serve their purpose well when they will be done according to their right definition. To make documentaries of high quality it is crucially important to know what a documentary is for sure and without any doubts. Terry Zwigoff knows it.