1994
Directed by Terry Zwigoff
I am only familiar with Robert Crumb because of his "Keep on Truckin'" drawings. After seeing this film, I am decidedly not a fan. I still enjoyed the documentary but I did feel the need to take a shower after watching this.
The film gives us a glimpse in the life of Robert Crumb, who rose to fame as a controversial cartoonist. The controversy comes from his depiction of women in his comics which is...disturbing, to say the least. It is so disturbing, in fact, that I am sure many people will claim it was satire. Whatever it was, I think it revealed a rather disgusting mind. We also learn about his brother Charles, who committed suicide before the film's release. Charles lived with his mother his whole life, seemingly to avoid acting on his "homosexual pedophiliac tendencies." Damn.
These people are seedy, but I felt even seedier for watching them with such horrified fascination. It was certainly interesting, but I am still unsure if I would recommend it.
RATING: ***--
Interesting Facts:
After Charles Crumb's suicide, his mother threw most of his artwork away.
Mostly with you on this... I'm more of a generation where Crumb was better known .. and some of his stuff is OK .. but I'm afraid his attitude to women when it came to sex could be .. rather disturbing, and .. well, more than a bit out-of-kilter with the whole counter culture beliefs. Stop fudging the issue .. some of it's out-and-out offensively sexist, and .. I'm afraid to admit, .. seedy.
ReplyDeleteLook, people are not really responsible for their sexuality that lurks in their dark corners. It's what you do about it that is under your control. So, if Robert has a 'thing' about rather large women, so what .. but what is wrong is if he starts leering (or, to gather from his work, drooling) and making open remarks or making unwanted advances..
This is starting to wander off topic..
The word seedy sums him up so well. It's weird that I still thought the documentary was good even though I was so repulsed by him.
ReplyDelete