Gonzo At Large

In Search of an American Icon: Less Fear More Loathing on the Documentary Trail.
by Morgan P Salvo


“Gonzo journalism” is the self-titled phrase that Hunter S. Thompson used because his writing seemed so far out of control it defied normal terminology. And it was a word he liked. Over time he became all things “Gonzo”. This documentary expands on this theme… or tries to.
There have been many films on Thompson and I was hoping this was going to be THE definitive one. It holds your attention at the beginning with a Natural Born Killers feel of photography and follows with great interviews and archival footage, but ultimately the story is conveyed a helluva lot better in Tom Thurman’s film Buy the Ticket Take the Ride.

Gonzo follows Thompson’s writing years, detailing his journalistic “Fear and Loathing” books and articles, work on political campaign trails and drug & alcohol use. The movie begins in Thompson’s home of Woody Creek, CO. showing him firing guns to an exhilarating choice of music, Bob Dylan and the Band’s live version of “All Along the Watch Tower”. Narrated whimsically by a sometimes on screen Johnny Depp, it includes interviews with Jimmy Carter and George McGovern. Jan Werner from Rolling Stone magazine is prominently figured as is a surprisingly reverent (to Thompson) Pat Buchannan.
Several stages of his life are covered: his infiltration of the Hells Angels and ensuing book, his run for sheriff of Aspen, the onslaught of ingested drugs and booze, his fight to legalize marijuana, his instrumental coverage of George McGovern and Jimmy Carter’s campaign, the berating of candidates by spreading hilarious rumors, his love for the Kennedys and hatred for Nixon and GW Bush. His prophecy of the Nixon years and the correlation to recent Bush years is uncanny. Despite his excessive merry prankster/joker/rebel/trickster lifestyle and image, he’s painted accurately as a realist and a patriot.
Excellent archival footage is used, though some needed to be delved into deeper: a TV debate with motorcycling Hells Angel arguing about the truth of Thompson’s book, various talk show spots, “What’s My Line?” footage, and excerpts from a movie called Breakfast with Hunter were all so brief they seemed like a tease. AND there was way too much footage from Terry Gilliam’s flick Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. The standout irritation was the glaring mistake of setting up his infatuation with Grace Slick from Jefferson Airplane and then showing footage of the first lead singer, NOT GRACE SLICK!!!!!
Gonzo provides a myriad view of Thompson’s life but doesn’t put all the pieces together coherently enough to swing the huge gavel that Thompson did on life and what he considered its many evils. I admit it’s hard to fill a mere two hours with Thompson’s complex and convoluted life but I truly felt that this movie missed many of its chances to champion his attributes. It seemed to self consciously intent on being slick . After a rundown on his journalist life with Sports Illustrated to finally Rolling Stone, the rest of the movie almost dissipates along with Thompson’s lust for life, glossing over his last years where he held court as a drug addled compound cult leader. There are interesting insights from interviews with his first wife (who shows real compassion towards him) and the second wife (who though kinda ditzy remains respectful to his memory). His son Juan has the most poignant line when he reveals his dad’s suicide was no surprise—he had been talking about it for 30 some odd years— “It was about time”. Thompson literally went out with a bang—twice…shot himself in the head, then as per his will/request was shot out of a rocket on his ranch while fireworks exploded, scattering his ashes everywhere.
While a young version of Thompson is portrayed throughout the beginning of the flick, the last images of him are old, tired and sadly without the fire in his eyes. He was simply a mess…saddened by the parody he became of himself; Thompson became a prisoner to his own fame. Gonzo is a reminder that no documentary can do this tragic radical icon justice, never fully explaining his evil-genius anger. A visionary to the end, he was consumed by what was wrong with the world. Every time I see a clip of him and his messed up hyper-critical-brilliant brain at work I just want to go home and re-read everything he wrote. The worst part is that his words are now finite. At least this movie gives us some glimpses for us to remember him by. Anyone with a sense of the patriotic, the absurd or the truth knows that the world needed Hunter S. Thompson. It’s a shame he chickened out and left us forever.

Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S Thompson
featuring Hunter S. Thompson, Jan Wenner, Johnny Depp, Jimmy Carter and Pat Buchanan
Directed by Alex Gibney
 3 stars