Crumb is a documentary that's quite divisive. On one side you have comic book fans who appreciate a 2-hour deep dive into Robert Crumb's life, and on the other movie fans who want to see what the big hype was about. Siskel and Ebert applauded Crumb after all, with the latter including it in his exclusive Great Movies list, giving it a perfect 4-stars.
Crumb is not a feel-good study into an artist's life. Cinematically it's barebones and only embellished by the ragtime and blues music sprinkled throughout. There are no cool editing tricks, moving animations, or montages. On the surface there are no inspiring, life-affirming segments that'll help you in your own creative endeavors. You'll feel depressed at how miserable and unremarkable his childhood was, at the hands of a brute, uncaring father and uninvolved, doped up mother. Thankfully director Terry Zwigoff doesn't focus too much on this, choosing rather to show the result of such an upbringing; through his brothers and mom. It's not until you finish the documentary that you'll see the good that comes out of such an experience.
However, it's not all gloom and doom. There are also interviews with Crumb's contemporaries, art critics, wife, ex-wife, and even his son. We get a glimpse of him as a family man and as an underground celebrity. My favorite was a short, day-in-the-life-of, where we see Robert walking around downtown San Francisco literally drawing inspiration from his surroundings. Then there's the art; the real meat-and-bones of it all. Even if you're not a fan of his cartoons, the sheer volume of work is unreal. This is an artist who never stopped working. The hippie era, drugs and subsequent publishers were incidental to Crumb's output. He would've kept drawing even if he never got a paycheck for his craft. That's rare. He didn't have to say he never cared about money or the critics, it's evident in his sketchbooks. He's an illustration machine.
The American Dream for an artist is different from its typical definition. This is the American Nap. If you want to simply make a living from your art, shun materialism, and find salvation in a quiet existence then this film will resonate with you. How many of us can say no to Hollywood? Show me one American blue-collar guy who declines money and fame. They no longer exist, but you'll witness Crumb doing just that. By the way I've never read a single R. Crumb comic. I just love inspiring, unusual documentaries. Don't pay attention to the negative reviews. Crumb is a masterpiece.
Crumb is not a feel-good study into an artist's life. Cinematically it's barebones and only embellished by the ragtime and blues music sprinkled throughout. There are no cool editing tricks, moving animations, or montages. On the surface there are no inspiring, life-affirming segments that'll help you in your own creative endeavors. You'll feel depressed at how miserable and unremarkable his childhood was, at the hands of a brute, uncaring father and uninvolved, doped up mother. Thankfully director Terry Zwigoff doesn't focus too much on this, choosing rather to show the result of such an upbringing; through his brothers and mom. It's not until you finish the documentary that you'll see the good that comes out of such an experience.
However, it's not all gloom and doom. There are also interviews with Crumb's contemporaries, art critics, wife, ex-wife, and even his son. We get a glimpse of him as a family man and as an underground celebrity. My favorite was a short, day-in-the-life-of, where we see Robert walking around downtown San Francisco literally drawing inspiration from his surroundings. Then there's the art; the real meat-and-bones of it all. Even if you're not a fan of his cartoons, the sheer volume of work is unreal. This is an artist who never stopped working. The hippie era, drugs and subsequent publishers were incidental to Crumb's output. He would've kept drawing even if he never got a paycheck for his craft. That's rare. He didn't have to say he never cared about money or the critics, it's evident in his sketchbooks. He's an illustration machine.
The American Dream for an artist is different from its typical definition. This is the American Nap. If you want to simply make a living from your art, shun materialism, and find salvation in a quiet existence then this film will resonate with you. How many of us can say no to Hollywood? Show me one American blue-collar guy who declines money and fame. They no longer exist, but you'll witness Crumb doing just that. By the way I've never read a single R. Crumb comic. I just love inspiring, unusual documentaries. Don't pay attention to the negative reviews. Crumb is a masterpiece.