Review of Crumb (1995) by Harry W — 23 Nov 2013

The thing that makes Crumb such a powerful documentary and separates it from every other documentary in the world is simple: Its subjects are open to everything.

The people chronicled in Crumb do not hesitate to discuss such complex personal subject that would normally be deemed antisocial, such as sexuality and mental issues. Its people are all so interesting and very incredible human beings, and Terry Zwigoff makes sure that we understand and know this with his insightful and Academy Award calibre documentary Crumb.

Crumb begins by revealing to us who Robert Crumb is, connecting him to the film adaptation of his famous comic strip character Fritz the Cat and then having him disconnect them himself by revealing his distaste for the film. Soon after it explores him in many ways: As a child, an adult, an artist, a person with a strong sexualisation and best of all, as a human being. Crumb never objectifies its main figure, Robert Crumb of his family, and it doesn't objectify his works of art either. It takes a sympathetic look at him, his complicated family and his artistic mind, and Robert Crumb tells all without people having to force it out of him like in an interrogative interview. He is clearly a very open and humane person with real problems, and he uses the medium of his art to express his emotions in a comical and entertaining way. Crumb is a documentary that not only teaches us about Robert Crumb, but art as a whole. Narrow minded people can view Crumb and broaden their understanding of the world of art, while wide minded people such as yours truly can even have their minds expanded by Crumb. Crumb gets into its subject matter deeply and reveals so much about Robert Crumb and his life that honestly, 9 years of Terry Zwigoff's work are deserving of such utter acclaim.

There is so much to be said about how insightful and interesting a documentary that Crumb actually is, but you must see it to feel it and to learn to embrace the figure that Robert Crumb himself really is, as well as the genius mind behind all his art, even if it may have minor moments of being stale. The life in the film is the life of Robert Crumb himself, and the classical music incorporated into its style is just the cherry on top.