Gonzo: The Life and Times of Hunter S. Thompson
This documentary provides an in-depth look at the legend that was Hunter S. Thompson, one of the pioneers of “new journalism”, and the first person to be awarded the moniker “gonzo” journalist.
Thompson first came to prominence when covering a racing derby. His article didn’t even cover the races per se, but focused on those who attended: if his article is anything to go by, they were greedy in-breds trying to squeeze every last dollar out of the horses.
Thompson’s style of journalism was quite unlike what we were accustomed to. Unlike the dislocated, distant and objective reportage of his predecessors and colleagues, his approach was unapologetically subjective and often scathing.
Thompson hit his peak during the seventies. His decline, accelerated, no doubt, by a life-long indulgence in drugs and alcohol, was marked by an inability to summon the incisive observations of his past. He was bloated, too famous to be a by-stander that gathers information, and possibly downright passé.
He loved fast vehicles and guns, and was a staunch patriot and defender of the right to bear arms. However, he was critical of racial inequality, and the Vietnam war. He championed Jimmy Carter’s campaign for presidency, after hearing a speech delivered by Carter, at a University. Prior to that, he had backed George McGovern before abandoning him after a disappointing choice for vice-president pre-selection.
Not long before his death, he prophesised the doom of the United States under the leadership of George Bush. Possibly due to an inability to put pen to paper with the ease of his younger years, Thompson’s acerbic public voice faded. Or perhaps it faded in the deep pool of frank opinion on offer in a wider variety of media than had existed in his youth.
There is no doubt that Thompson was a difficult man. His own son, Juan, who contributes quite a lot to this documentary, refers to his father by his public moniker “Hunter”, and recalls a childhood in which his father would get up and eat breakfast around the time Juan was winding down and having dinner.
Thompson’s irreverence is not so uncommon today, although his eccentric ways are, perhaps fortunately, relatively rare. But his part in breaking down the façades that had protected public discourse on important matters should not be underestimated.
And despite his numerous failings, friends, colleagues and even politicians about whom he wrote, remember him fondly. Many of the stories told about him are hilarious.
Johnny Depp (who played Hunter S. Thompson in Terry Gilliam’s adaptation of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas), narrates passages from Thompson’s work, in a matter-of-fact tone that would likely be most pleasing to the subject of this film.
This documentary is essential viewing for anyone who has read (and therefore, presumably, enjoyed) any of Hunter S. Thompson’s work. But for those who haven’t, Gonzo is bound to ignite curiosity.