Review of The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2006) by Brent C — 25 Feb 2012

Amazing documentary detailing the life of little known singer/songwriter and artist Daniel Johnston. While his music and material could never really be mainstream it has been covered and admired by many such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Tom Waits, and Sonic Youth.

Anyone who recognizes and admires a well written verse will appreciate Johnston's absolute genius. What really sets this story apart is that Johnston is a manic depressive who's life and career has been pretty derailed by this mental illness.

The things he has done over the years will leave you slack-jawed, he has been arrested and spent some very long stretches in mental instituitions due to his actions and behaviour. The fact that he has obsessively documented his life and work through film, writing, and audio commentaries that go back to his teenage years gave the filmmaker a wealth of material to work with.

Fascinating, heartbreaking, and quite powerful this movie explores creative genius, mental illness, and family bonds like few others have. Wonderful.