The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2005)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Jeff Feuerzeig

Writer:

Jeff Feuerzeig (writer)

Release Date:

5 May 2006 (UK)

Genre:

Documentary | Biography | Music

Plot:

Daniel Johnston, manic-depressive genius singer/songwriter/artist is revealed in this portrait of madness, creativity and love. |

Plot Keywords:

Singer | Airplane Accident | Church | Songwriter | Musician

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Daniel Johnston	...	Himself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Laurie Allen	...	Herself
Brian Beattie	...	Himself
Louis Black	...	Himself
David Fair	...	Himself
Jad Fair	...	Himself
Don Goede	...	Himself
Matt Groening	...	Himself
Gibby Haynes	...	Himself
Bill Johnston	...	Himself
Dick Johnston	...	Himself
Mabel Johnston	...	Herself
Margie Johnston	...	Herself
Sally Johnston-Reid	...	Herself
Ken Lieck	...	Himself
Kathy McCarty	...	Herself
Freddie Mercury	...	Himself (archive footage)
Thurston Moore	...	Himself
Jason Nightmare	...	Himself
John Pochna	...	Himself
Jeff Tartakov	...	Himself
David Thornberry	...	Himself
Peter Zaremba	...	Himself

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, drug content, and language including a sexual reference.

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Ireland:15A | Australia:M | USA:PG-13 | UK:12A

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Company:

Complex

Quotes:

Daniel Johnston: I never met a girl I didn't meet.

Movie Connections:

References All That Money Can Buy (1941)

Soundtrack:

See My Soul Stretched Out to the Sky

Genius and Madness

Many of the great artists of history have suffered from some form of mental disorder, and we often find ourselves fascinated both by their brilliance and their madness. Of course, as this documentary points out, none of us ever had to actually live with a Van Gogh or a Lord Byron and deal with the real world consequences of what went on in their heads.

In The Devil and Daniel Johnston, Jeff Feuerzeig gives us a rare glimpse into the tortured mind of just such brilliant artist by effectively combining interviews from those who have known Daniel Johnston best with Johnston's own internal monologue. Feuerzeig achieves the latter because, apart from recording hundreds of songs on cassette tapes, Daniel recorded much of his life; from his mother screaming at him as a teenager to his arrest by park officials for painting Jesus fish on the Statue of Liberty to Johnston reading aloud about his own mental illness from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Many people came to know Daniel Johnston's work in the early 90s when Kurt Cobain famously called him the "greatest songwriter on Earth" and wore a t-shirt with an image from one of Johnston's hand-drawn album covers on the MTV Video Music Awards. Johnston's raw and introspective songs were subsequently covered by Nirvana, Sonic Youth, The Flaming Lips, Beck, and many others. Sadly, just as his music was making inroads into the popular consciousness Johnston's mental illness worsened (possibly accelerated by heavy LSD use), and his career and life entered increasingly troubled waters.

The Devil and Daniel Johnston works as a documentary about music, art, and mental illness all at the same time. It grants you unusual access to what's going on inside a the mind of a human being bursting with creative talent while simultaneously struggling to control the demons that haunt him. After watching this, don't be surprised if you find yourself wanting to hear more of Daniel Johnston's work.