While
there have been many things already written about the life of legendary author
and gonzo journalist
Hunter S. Thompson, and many more to come, the documentary Buy the Ticket,
Take the Ride: Hunter S. Thompson on Film offers a unique approach.
Produced for, and shown primarily on, the Starz channel, this feature documentary explores the
life, as well as the death, of Hunter S. Thompson, in particular in how he was
portrayed in several films that were made about him (most notably, Where the
Buffalo Roam and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas),
and also to the Hollywood artists that revered him as a brother in arms
for the anti-establishment cause.
Although the films are spotlighted, as well
as some of the stars who appeared in them, Tom Thurman's documentary is
surprisingly intimate, featuring rare personal footage and interviews, showing
the public persona of Thompson, as well as a bit of his private life,
particularly in how he affected others as a person, above and beyond just his
written words. Documentarian Tom Thurman provides an intimate backbone for
his presentation through interviews between the close family and friends of
Thompson, while shedding more light on how he has affected the film industry,
both personally and professionally, through interviews with actors, writers,
producers, and film critics, each offering their own unique perspectives on both
the man and the legend, about what he meant to the nation as a whole, and also
how he changed their personal lives in meaningful ways.
Thurman's documentary doesn't offer
historical depth in any one particular area, but it does display quite a bit of
breadth on the extent of his influence, and offers many interesting, informative tidbits about the life of Hunter S.
Thompson that few would ever glimpse if only exposed to his writing or his
public appearances. From his troubled beginnings as a juvenile delinquent
to his anguished final days, including his decades-old vision of how he wanted
his funeral to be (his ashes shot from a cannon in the form of a two-thumbed fist), Buy
the Ticket touches the important bases when it comes to capturing the spirit
of the famed author, what drove him with such a passion, and why his maverick
attitude about life, government, counterculture, and the underpinnings of
American society would be so resonant among many important artists and writers, particularly
in the filmmaking industry.
While it's a no-brainer to recommend Buy the
Ticket, Take the Ride for fans of Thompson's work, for whom the rare
footage of Thompson alone would merit a viewing, it is also recommended to
anyone with a curiosity about this man with the enigmatic, sometimes
larger-than-life personality. It delivers a more human side to the public image of a
wild, perverse journalist driven with a need for excess that not even he could
live up to. Ironically, even after his suicide, he is still injecting
himself in the stories told by others.
While it may not offer a complete
testament on his life, Thurman's documentary does make for an essential companion
piece for any collector of Thompson's works, both in film and in the written
page, definitively capturing how one journalist's unique vision is still making ripples in an
industry that has yet to cease in its fascination with the man, and the myth,
that is Hunter S. Thompson.
Qwipster's rating:
©2006 Vince Leo
