“I believe in God, and I certainly believe in the Devil. There’s certainly a devil, and he knows my name.” – Daniel Johnston. Sundance Film Festival Winner, The Devil and Daniel Johnston begins with a scene of Daniel Johnston performing at the time the documentary was made. It then flashes back to interviews with his parents, Mabel and Bill, illustrated by archival photographs and home video of Daniel growing up in New Cumberland, West Virginia. Daniel is a precocious child who is artistic and full of life. He is a musician, draws and makes videos. But is mother speculates that he somehow lost his confidence in junior high school and that’s when he started to have problems. There is a definite conflict between Daniel and his Church of Christ, fundamentalist parents. Daniel tape records his Mother berating him, accusing him creating “Satanic” drawings and seeking attention with his art. He and his brother make videos in which Daniel plays the part of of his Mother nagging and berating him. While his family doesn’t seem to understand his art or music, Daniel’s peers at school do. Artist, David Thornberry becomes his best friend.
The Devil and Daniel Johnston is a documentary profile of a talented, person who walks a thin line between sanity and mental illness through out his life. Director Jeff Feuerzeig pieces together the story with archival footage, photographs, performance, new footage and interviews with people who know Daniel and Daniel himself mainly though the use of prerecorded tapes. The story moves back and forth from the past to the present as time passes.
Attending Abilene Christian College doesn’t work out for Daniel and he becomes depressed. His parents bring Daniel home for awhile. He then goes to live with his brother Dick. The brother doesn’t appear to understand Daniel’s artistic ambitions. In an interview Dick relates how he told Daniel that he’s never going to become famous as a musician or and artist and that he should forget those ideas and find work. He gets Daniel a job at a theme park. Daniel becomes more depressed and without telling anyone starts working for a traveling carnival. After working in the carnival for a time he ends up in Austin, Texas. Daniel ultimately gets an appearance on MTV, which launches his career as an underground musician and performer. He sings songs he has written and accompanies him self on the guitar, which he doesn’t play as well as the piano. He distributes tapes of his work to various people.
Daniel is talented but it seems there is a conflict between who he wants to be as an artist and the Church of Christ, Christian fundamentalist upbringing he has experienced. The documentary begins to reveal this as you follow Daniel’s life though out the story. While his family appears to want to help him, it is more about helping him become “normal” and not an artist. Despite all the problems is parents and family try to be there for him. The story takes a number of tragic turns which highlight Daniel’s self-destructive behavior. This includes drug use which pushes him to the edges of reality.
The profile makes use of Daniel’s art and music throughout the story. The Devil and Daniel Johnston is a compelling story of an artist who struggles with demons he cannot reconcile. About midway through the documentary Daniel becomes obsessed with religious ideas which he distorts in his symptomatic depression. He is institutionalized on a number of occasions by family, friends and his manager.
The Devil and Daniel Johnston is an excellent documentary profile that is well paced and edited. It quickly involves you in the story and the life of this man. The story is one of conflict, crisis, depression and madness. Daniel Johnston’s songs, singing and music are unique with a quality that remains with you after the documentary ends.
J R MARTIN
TRAILER
The Devil and Daniel Johnston – 2006 – Sony Pictures – 110 min. – Directed by Henry S. Rosenthal and Ted Hope. A story about underground music musician and artist Daniel Johnston, including his work and his struggle with mental illness.
Tags: Art, Devil and Daniel Johnston, documentary film reviews, drawing, manic-depression, Sundance Film Festival, Underground music
