AFI Review: Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson

On Friday, People Newspaper Staff Writer Cassie Clark went to see the Hunter S. Thompson documentary. Her well-organized review of it and the film is after the jump.

On Friday, I attended the first Dallas screening of Alex Gibney’s documentary about Hunter S. Thompson, the rebel journalist known for his strong opinions, drug habits and gun obsession. Because of the rave reviews it received at Sundance this year, I had high expectations for “Gonzo,” and overall, it held up to the hype. It was a well-crafted overview of Thompson’s life and work, but not everything was perfect. Here are a few of my thoughts on the film and the AFI experience:

Positive thoughts:
- Like Thompson, the film is fast-paced, aggressive, and a bit wacky. No one in the audience was yawning, that’s for sure.
- Gibney has an impressive lineup of interviews: Johnny Depp, Jimmy Buffet (who Thompson lived with for a period of time), George McGovern, Gary Hart, Jimmy Carter, and Pat Buchanan.
- Excellent soundtrack of ‘60s and ‘70s hits.

Negative thoughts:
- The film was about 30 minutes too long.
- Portions of an interview with Thompson’s first wife were filmed with a green screen behind her. Images of riots, naked women, and moving patterns and colors played behind her as she spoke. Awkward.
- Maybe allowing alcohol in the theater wasn’t such a great idea: Bottles clanked around during the entire screening. People kept getting up (presumably to go to the bathroom), and toward the end, one drunk guy kept shouting things about Ron Paul.

Interesting tidbits I learned from this film:
- Thompson ran an unsuccessful campaign for Sheriff of Aspen, Colo. in 1970. (political ad: 60 seconds of Thompson riding a motorcycle with sunglasses and a ski cap)
- Thompson’s son is named Juan.
- Former president and peanut farmer Jimmy Carter was profoundly moved by Bob Dylan’s 1965 song “Maggie’s Farm.”
- Thompson’s “funeral” was even more bizarre than I originally thought. Google it.

“Gonzo” is the kind of documentary that makes you wish your life was more reckless and destructive. Through his writing, he made politics as dirty and thrilling as drugs, sex and alcohol. (Something C-SPAN consistently fails to do.) Like Woodward and Bernstein, Thompson taps into that romantic realm of journalism that makes for great movies-and great documentaries.

-Cassie Clark