By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.75 cats
Director: Chris McKim
Country: united_states
Year: 2021
Running time: 108
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11701838/reference
Michael says: “Queer 80’s artist David Wojnarowicz was a contemporary of Robert Mapplethorpe and Keith Haring, but with a decidedly different outlook and more in-your-face attitude. Documentaries about art are not really my thing, much to the disappointment for some of my fellow Chlotrudis members. It’s not that there aren’t good docs that can be made about the Art World, it’s just that the Art world doesn’t hold a lot of interest with me, and I don’t really understand it. WOJNAROWICZ is one of those exceptions, of a very well-made documentary that actually caught and held my attention, and made me ponder things beyond the scope of the film. Oh, and did I neglect to mention? The full title of this doc is WOJNAROICZ: F**K YOU F*GGOT F**KER, which should give you a clue as to the temperament of the film’s subject. Born in New Jersey, and physically abused by his father, Wojnarowicz fled to Manhattan as a teen and hustled to make money. From this rough background, he emerged as an American painter, photographer, writer, filmmaker, performance artist, songwriter/recording artist and AIDS activist prominent in the East Village art scene. Sadly, like so many men in the 80’s, he died of complications due to the AIDS virus in 1992.
“Filmmaker Chris McKim made two previous feature docs (FREEDIA GOT A GUN; OUT OF IRAQ) before tackling David’s story. McKim was able to sidestep the whole talking head form of doc because David documented much of his life on audiotaped, both himself and his conversations with others. By marrying images of David’s artwork, and archival footage of New York in the 80’s with David’s recorded ruminations and conversations, you really got to know that scene and the artist. Interviews with gallery owners, other artists, and friends of David’s and just using the audio over older footage maintained the tone and style of the film successfully.
“Two things truly resonated with me. First was the inherent dichotomy that David wrestled with where he was driven to get his art out there, and wanted it to be seen, but he loathed rich people, and the more well-known he became, the more he struggled with his success. He certainly appreciated not having to scrounge for his next meal, and his artwork benefitted from a stable home, but there was a part of him that was angry that it was all beholden to the wealthy. I was also struck by how this doc told a portrait of a young man who came of age in a radically different way than I did, due to his background and where he spent his teens and twenties, and it struck me how much environment, especially as a gay man coming of age in the 80’s, really shapes your personality. It also made me think quite about about Bruce’s life in Manhattan during the 1980’s. It’s been at least two weeks since I watched the film and it’s still lodged firmly in my brain. That’s the sign of a good documentary, how it makes you ponder your own life and the world around you. In that, and in many other ways, WOJNAROWICZ: F**K YOU F*GGOT F**KER was a big success. 4.5 cats”
Philip says: “I lurk a lot on this group. I rarely watch brand-new films. I spend a lot of time watching nearly new films, older films, and a lot of television. Michael’s review of the David Wojnarowicz doc reminded me that I actually paid to rent the film through Kino. Below is my review posted on my blog, Reel Charlie on April 19, 2021:
“The first thing you need to understand about the remarkable documentary, WOJNAROWICZ: F**K YOU F*GGOT F**KER is that the title itself seems to have been censored. Named for David Wojnarowicz’s incredible art piece created in 1984, the asterisks inserted remind us we can’t seem to publish certain words in the media, which is absurd because they are words and they exist. Wojnarowicz was gay. He used the title ironically. And ironically the film is now being marketed and reviewed as simply, Wojnarowicz. I don’t have a problem with a softer touch to get the word out, but anyone interested in a film about David Wojnarowicz’s art is not going to be offended by the asterisked words fuck, faggot, or fucker. They will immediately understand. And those who are new to his art will get it after experiencing his work within the remarkable documentary created by Chris McKim. I am especially angry at the cowardly and always two steps behind New York TImes who gave a glowing review of the film only using David’s last name and identifying the title piece as ‘a still from the documentary,’ instead of using the name. Fuck You, NY Times Faggot Fucker.”I have loved David’s work for many years. It speaks to me specifically as a gay man and intimately as a gay man who has survived AIDS. He was self-taught until he met friends and lovers who inspired him and his art. He took all the trauma he experienced as a child and poured it into his work. And when AIDS reared its ugly head, he used his art as a call to arms. He was angry about homophobia, he was angry about the rich and our complacent society. My favorite quote from David which appears in the film is, ‘I’m not gay as in I love you, I’m queer as in fuck off.’ But as that anger and rage fueled his creative energy, he also had relationships – friendships and love affairs with many people. And as his work became increasingly noticed, he struggled with his hatred of capitalism and the need to survive. The film goes on to say that as many East Village artists became known to uptown buyers during the 1980’s, David and his former lover and dear friend Peter Hujar seemed to be the only two in their circle who didn’t court the money. David died when he was 37 in 1992 due to complications from AIDS. I can’t help but wonder what he would have done had he been given more time. But damn if he didn’t create an amazing body of work in less than 20 years. One of the best things about the film is the high def detail of his work. Toward the end of his life, his work became more sophisticated. To quote Dennis, my movie buddy – ‘more finished.’ There was a roughness to his earlier collage work which I love. But his later work focused more on painting and beauty. I am in awe of his life and his work as an artist. He lived life on his own terms and did what he needed to do to heal from his childhood wounds. He also used his platform to discuss injustice on many levels. If you are unfamiliar with his work, the documentary will be a great introduction. If you know his work, you’ll be blown away at the detail and care the filmmaker takes to present David for today and for generations to come. 5 cats.