BuzzFlash Reviews
Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (Documentary DVD)
Directed by Alex Gibney, With Readings by Johnny Depp
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Punctuated with readings by Johny Depp, interviews with Jan Wenner and George McGovern among others, and aging members of the Hells Angels, the documentary shows both the wild excesses of the original "Gonzo" journalist and his demons.
Thompson's biography is fascinating as is his character, which is full of contradictions. Those looking for the humor and intoxicating excess of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" will find a more complicated portrait of a man who gloried in being both a "freak" and a gun nut, for instance.
In the end, Thompson is, at heart, a libertarian on acid, with a penchant for the dark side.
And the man could write. He learned his craft by typing F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Great Gatsby" over and over again, until he absorbed its style and rhythm.
This is a rich, fascinating insight into one of America's cultural icons by the director of Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room and Taxi to the Dark Side.
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