The Devil and Daniel Johnston
Posted by martinteller on April 25, 2007
I’ve been aware of Daniel Johnston since 1989, and although I’ve never considered him a “genius” on any level, he is a fascinating character and a unique artistic voice. The documentary is entertaining and more innovative than Feuerzeig’s previous film, Half Japanese: The Band That Would Be King. It manages to be both reverent (perhaps too reverent at times) about his work and critical of his behavior. There is a perception out there of Johnston as a lovable harmless kook, and it’s good to see his darker, dangerous side exposed here. The film does trail off a bit at the end, because let’s face it… Johnston (mostly) stable on medication is less interesting than Johnston nearly crashing a plane. Also: there’s a scene in the extra material on the DVD where the filmmakers reintroduce Johnston to the great obsession of his life, Laurie, after 26 years. I found this to be highly irresponsible, exploitative, and to a degree, even cruel. Rating: 8
