The Devil and Daniel Johnston [DVD]

This is one of the most exhaustive and insightful documentaries you'll ever see. It works impeccably well as both a study of the origins and trajectory of a remarkable songwriting career, and as a stark portrayal of the suffering caused by serious mental illness. These two strands run beautifully in parallel through the film.

As a passionate fan of Johnston's music (and a keen admirer of his art), I was always going to find this fascinating but it should offer much for those who are unfamiliar with his work. The detail provided by Feuerzeig (a self-confessed fan) might be tiresome for some but it would be hard to discount the moments of sadness, humour, shock, disgust, disbelief and awe permeating this work.

The level of sympathy and respect for Johnston will vary amongst viewers but after seeing this I have even more love for the man.

The thoughts of the various contributors, particularly of course his parents, are never less than compelling.

Johnston's own home video footage is used to great effect, as is other input, including the MTV Cutting Edge clips.

The DVD itself is really well presented (great Daniel drawing on the cover of course) and the extras are nice though less thorough than they could have been. The reunion with beautiful muse Laurie, as mentioned by a previous reviewer, will definitely break your heart.

Overall, this is an amazing insight into the mind and life of a ridiculously talented and inspirational man.

I started trying to write a proper, conventional review for this film, but the more I tried the more I realised it really isn't necessary. All you need to know is that, if you have even a passing interest in Daniel Johnston, you need to see this. All credit goes to the film-makers who researched their subject as thoroughly as is deserved of a man like Daniel. The film covers all aspects of his life so far, and deals with his condition sensitively yet still isn't afraid to state the raw facts and include a few quite shocking stories and clips. The Devil and Daniel Johnston overall manages to be at times warm and hilarious, at times chilling and heart-breaking, but always engaging and a real step-up from a few other musician related DVDs I've seen recently. Like I say, if you're even slightly curious about the man, you HAVE to watch this film.

Another very interesting feature is one of the Extras on the disc, which shows Daniel being reunited with Laurie at the SXSW showing of his film, and if that doesn't really grab you reading this now, by the time you've finished the film you'll be frantically navigating your way around the DVD menu so you can watch it for yourself.

I don't know who will be more enthralled by this documentary film - long-time fans of Daniel Johnston or those being exposed for the first time to his tragic genius. I can only speak for the latter, a brand new fan who has found what I consider to be a kindred spirit. The Devil and Daniel Johnston may sound like some kind of Faustian melodrama, but it is in fact a searingly honest and unabashedly intimate look inside the mind of a tortured genius, a chronicle of madness examining Daniel Johnston's life-long internal war between self-accomplishment and self-defeat. Famed for his art as well as his music, Daniel Johnston has lived a life of almost mythic ups and downs, and his story is equally inspirational and heartbreaking. Some folks won't connect with his art or his folk-based songs, but I don't think anyone can watch this film without being moved by the man's emotional story.

From childhood, Johnston was an iconoclastic individual dedicated to art and music, surrounding himself with comic books and musical paraphernalia, including his own music studio with a piano and boom boxes. It was here in his basement (and later the homes of both his brother and his sister) that he recorded his first songs for a cottage industry of self-made tapes that would serve as his foot in the door to a musical career. Johnston taped more than just his music, however. From 8mm movies made with his brother to audio letters to friends and associates to recordings of his mother haranguing him to home video of his early days in the Austin music scene, an almost unprecedented wealth of personal material was available for this illuminating documentary, including films of the inspirational girl who got away (and married a mortician, appropriately enough for this story). His early songs are about as raw as they come. Like a Bob Dylan, Johnston doesn't have what you would call a pretty voice; he also is far from a master of guitar. The passion of his music, though, is of the rarest kind, making it easy to see why he became such a cult icon. This is extraordinary, soul-baring music.

What makes Johnston's art and music especially poignant, however, is the history of mental illness that shapes it so powerfully. A manic-depressive (I guess you're supposed to refer to it as a bipolar disorder these days) with delusions and a sometimes debilitating obsession with Satan, Johnston has hit many lows in his life, many of which came in the immediate wake of great success. He has, among other things, wandered off by himself in New York City, proselytized crowds with the imminent threat of demonic assaults, attacked his manager with a lead pipe, caused a plane crash he and his father were lucky to survive, compelled an elderly woman to jump from her second story window and break both her ankles, and walked away from a dreamy recording contract with Elektra because he feared that the guys from Metallica would, for their own Satanic purposes, murder him. As you would expect, he has spent considerable time in mental institutions over the years.

What is most inspirational, besides Johnston's ability to come back and continue with his music and art after walking through so many emotional minefields, is the love and support of his family, especially his parents. Basically unable to get along on his own, Johnston now lives with his parents; the effects of all his medication have obviously affected his physical health and his voice, but the genius is still there. Thanks to good friends (including the long-time manager he fired for no good reason), his early music was never forgotten, and he is still producing new songs and drawings - and even touring internationally to a limited extent. Large numbers of his songs have been recorded by a myriad of artists, including Pearl Jam, Gordan Gano, Beck, and Sonic Youth, and this film is sure to bring new fans into his fold. Success has always been a double-edged sword for Johnston, but hopefully it will help provide the means for his care after his aging parents are gone.

Forget about music and art for a minute. The Devil and Daniel Johnston is one of the most intimate looks at mental illness you will ever find, as few individuals have documented their entire lives to such an extent as Johnston has. We get to see and hear many of the pivotal events that shaped his entire life, from childhood to the present day. That makes this film an utterly fascinating psychological case study, no matter what you think of the man's artwork and music.