Review of Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (2008) by Scott F — 22 Aug 2009

A documentary focusing on the life of probabily the greatest maverick journalist of our times, Hunter S. Thompson. Narrated by Johnny Depp, who reads some of the great Doctor's works, it's a fascinating insight into a true American writer, who documented so much on the death of the American Dream, and how it became a nightmare.

It focuses on his early life, as a jobbing freelance writer, and how he made a name for himself when he wrote a story for The Nation about life in the Hell's Angels. His was of writing which became known as Gonzo journalism, which described the seedier goings on at certain events.

And, of course, his magnum opus. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Thompson always said he would take his own life one day, and he did, one cold evening on on February 20, 2005 at his home in Woody Creek, Colorado, he shot himself.

No-one has had a more colourful life than Thompson, a very colourful character and a true eccentric. With interviews from his family and people like Ralph Steadman, Tom Wolfe and former US President Jimmy Carter.

It's a brilliant portrait, and it makes you wish he was still with us.