Film Review: Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

Title:               Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
Director:              Alex Gibney
Producer:            Mark Cuban,Todd Wagner (Exec), Roy Ackerman (Co-Exec),
                                Graydon Carter, Lisa Cohen, Alison Ellwood, Alex Gibney,
                                Jason Kliot, Eva Orner, Joana Vicente, Stephen Vittoria,
                                Salimah El-Amin (Assoc)
Screenwriter:    Alex Gibney
Cinema:               Maryse Alberti
Editor:                 Alison Ellwood
Year:                     2008 (120 minutes)

Synopsis: From Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney and producer Graydon Carter comes a probing look into the uncanny life of national treasure and gonzo journalism inventor Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. A fast moving, wildly entertaining documentary with an iconic soundtrack, the film addresses the major touchstones in Thompson’s life–his intense and ill fated relationship with the Hell’s Angels, his near-successful bid for the office of sheriff in Aspen in 1970, the notorious story behind the landmark Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, his deep involvement in Senator George McGovern’s 1972 presidential campaign. Narrated by Johnny Depp.

Review: Prior to viewing Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, I didn’t know much about the father of gonzo journalism. I knew he was a successful writer and that he was involved to some extent with the counter-culture of the 1960’s. But other than that, I wasn’t overly familiar with Thompson. What I learned from the film is that Thompson was a prodigious writer (at least in his early career), a prodigious user of drugs and alcohol (throughout his entire career), and a cynic of immense proportions.

Thompson spent a good part of his career searching for and documentary the death of the American dream. That’s why it is somewhat ironic that Thompson achieved the American dream – assuming the dream is to become successful and famous – and the dream ended up screwing up his life. His writing suffered, his drug and alcohol use skyrocketed, and he couldn’t go anywhere without being bothered by fans and hangers-on.

Thompson became trapped in the persona he had created. He became a caricature of himself. He began living his life to live up (or down) to the expectation of others. And in the end, at the age of 68, he put a bullet in his brain.

Director Alex Gibney did a good job of telling Hunter’s story without trying to make him into some kind of counter-culture hero. His faults and idiosyncrasies were on full display, as were his virtues (such as they were) and his considerable talents. Gibney included a wide range of interviews from such diverse people as Jann Wenner from Rolling Stone magazine, former presidential candidate George McGovern, singer Jimmy Buffet, and Republican presidential adviser Pat Buchanan. They provided a well-rounded view of the complex and often controversial writer.

Gonzo is a good, but not great documentary. Thompson provided a great story to tell, and Gibney does a good (but not great) job telling it.

(3.0 out of 5.0)