In 1965, Hunter S. Thompson made a
name for himself by riding with, writing about, and eventually pissing off the
Hells Angels, an often-vicious biker gang. Then he decided to live on the edge.
Through studious drug use, a finely honed sense of black comedy, and highly
subjective—and frequently fantasy-prone—reporting, Thompson created
a journalistic subgenre called "gonzo" that sought a deeper truth than could be
achieved by traditional means. Frank Mankiewicz, the campaign manager for
George McGovern's 1972 Democratic presidential run, described Thompson's work
as "the most accurate and least factual account" of the election season. No
doubt Thompson took that as a compliment.
Apart from a handful of re-creations
and lots of excerpts from Thompson's writing, read by Johnny Depp (who played
Thompson in Terry Gilliam's film Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, and remained a close friend of
Thompson's), Gonzo: The Life And Work Of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson takes a fairly straightforward
approach to its subject. Maybe too straightforward: Director Alex Gibney (Enron:
The Smartest Guys In The Room, Taxi To The Dark Side) mostly alternates between talking heads and
archival footage, and even uses two Credence Clearwater Revival songs and The Youngbloods' "Get Together" to
establish the period.
It's more Thompson-for-beginners
than an exhaustive inquiry, but as introductions go, it's thorough and
thoughtful. Thompson was the rare man whose life drew affectionate tributes
from Jimmy Carter, Jimmy Buffett, and Pat Buchanan. Like the film, they all
admire Thompson's fearlessness without soft-selling his flaws. Apart from some
kind words about the Bush-enraged writing of his final years, no one has much
to say about Thompson's work from the mid-'70s on, when the mere act of being
Hunter S. Thompson—the outrageous, gun-toting, drug-crazed character who
happened to write—became a full-time job. Even in his decline, however,
he remained admirably committed. He carved out a piece of America all his own,
and stayed there until he didn't want to stick around anymore.