Crumb

Some of the biggest and best known artists of our time don't always get the recognition that they deserve until after their dead and gone, and the world looks back on all of their work as a whole. Yet here we get to see the background of one of the most successful underground comic artists from the last century: Robert Crumb. It took the director Terry Zwigoff six years of filming and editing to compile this compelling story that shows the trials and torments that Crumb had to go through in his life.
An in-depth look into the life and times of Robert Crumb, with an intimate examination of his life, good and bad, and how it effected him, his family and the work that he was able to create. The interviews with family and friends, along with Crumb's own commentary, gives the film a feeling of intimacy. As the film progresses you begin to believe that you have an understanding of the man and his work, and then you're given another view point from someone that creates a whole new dimension. The examination of the pain and torment that was throughout his early life doesn't overpower the story, but it also doesn't pass it by as if it had nothing to do with the molding of the artist.
Even if you don't know this man by his name you have probably seen some of his work, the artistry that he created was true to life in the most unflattering of ways, and gave us all a view of the world from his point of view. I believe that understanding an artist's viewpoints about his, or her, work at the time of creation, or years later in reflection, can only enhance the viewing publics appreciation of the work and the artist. This is a wonderful film to see after all these years of admiring Crumb's work and finally seeing the thought process that went into some very recognizable counterculture icons. The final thought about this film proves the old adage, "All artists must suffer for their work," and here you are given a clear picture on how much he truly suffered.