Gonzo, Alex Gibney’s look at the life and work of Hunter S. Thompson, ends with a glimpse of the influential writer’s funeral. In keeping with Thompson’s larger-than-life image, the proceedings are absurd. A massive, 47-metre monument is built, crowned with the two-thumbed fist that came to represent gonzo journalism. Thompson’s ashes, mixed with fireworks, explode over his Aspen ranch and dissipate into the scenery. It’s a hell of a way to go out.
Thompson also entered the literary scene with a bang. His Hell’s Angels, the result of a year spent following the infamous biker gang, helped kick-start the new journalism movement alongside writers like Tom Wolfe (who shows up in the documentary). The followups, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail, bulldozed the lines between reality and fiction in order to get at “the truth,” neatly presaging the truthiness crowd’s belief that facts only get in the way of accuracy.
He is, in short, a fascinating, polarizing figure, and Gibney’s film does its best to show this through a remarkable collection of talking heads. Jimmy Carter, Pat Buchanan and one-time presidential candidate George McGovern make appearances, as does Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner. Even Jimmy Buffet makes an appearance (he gave Thompson a place to stay when he was going through a divorce, preventing Thompson from wasting away somewhere far stronger than Margaritaville).
While the stream of political and cultural heavy hitters speaks loudly to Thompson’s significance, it also turns Gonzo into a primer on the writer, rather than a more in-depth examination. A great deal of time is understandably spent discussing the circumstances around the creation of his first three novels, as well as his surprisingly successful (though not quite successful enough) run for the office of sheriff of Aspen, Colorado, but everything between that and his 2005 suicide is largely glossed over. The consequences of his drug-fuelled hedonism aren’t given much time, either — his speech became largely incomprehensible and he was prone to fits of arm-flailing and gibberish, a fact that doesn’t get more than a casual mention. It’s probably more respectful that way, but if there was anyone who’d appreciate accuracy over reverence, it’s Thompson.
Gibney also tries, less successfully, to liven things up with showy re-enactments and flashy editing. The information being presented is almost always interesting, but the cheesy production is often distracting.
For those with only a basic awareness of Thompson, though, or those who know him chiefly through Johnny Depp’s portrayal in the film version of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Gonzo is a worthy introduction. If nothing else, it shows that there’s far more to the writer than his over-the-top public persona. He was part circus sideshow, certainly, but his impact goes far beyond his shock value.
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