By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.25 cats
Director: Eric Slade | Stephen Silha
Country: united_states
Year: 2014
Running time: 82
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2048708/combined
Thom says: “It’s a rare film where I have a personal connection with the protagonist, no matter how small, which is the exact case here where for one semester on my way to my B.A. in Film from San Francisco State University I had this intriguing fellow as a professor for a Documentary Film class back in the late 1960s. My remembered opinion of him was that of a fey, entertaining, & knowledgeable man and we saw some of his own efforts during the light-hearted semester, which breezed by. It was the semester that I ran into a Jewish dude that I knew from attending U.C.L.A. I had been insanely in love with him some two years previously but had no interest when viewing him anew. He’d done a rotten thing to me with an insanely romantic core.
“Sorry for veering off track here. This film is catchy, irreverent and a personal look-see at this inventive artiste, this energy of wit & imagination, but finally only convinces me of a certain initiative but with little substance. That isn’t to say that his vigor, his savoir-faire, his bon vivant nature isn’t inspiring and admirable. And finally; because I knew little about him, this tell-all expose is fun & vibrant. His bisexuality was pronounced and fresh. Unfortunately his two daughters refused to be interviewed, always a bad sign. 4 cats”
Bruce says: “Not many people are familiar with the works of James Broughton, a San Francisco Renaissance poet who was also a filmmaker known for his capricious point of view, a pioneer in being playful. How else could one get the nickname Big Joy? His mission was finding happiness in a world of terror and havoc.
“The filmmaking trio responsible for BIG JOY: THE ADVENTURES OF JAMES BROUGHTON opted for a most interesting device in telling Broughton’s story. They use a narrator who is a performance artist to introduce the various aspects of Broughton’s career and his tumultuous personal life. From a well-to-do Modesto family Broughton did not measure up to family expectations. He had academic interests. After dropping out of school he lived with Pauline Kael in San Francisco. She moved to New York, pregnant with their daughter. In the next phase of his life he began to make his mark as a filmmaker. His lover and artistic partner was Kermit Sheets with whom he traveled to Europe and lived for several years. ‘Kermit was the springboard for my messages to the world,’ explains Broughton. In England they made the film THE PLEASURE GARDEN that won a special award at Cannes. Jean Cocteau handed Broughton the award claiming Broughton was, ‘An American who made a French film in England.’
“Broughton turned down an offer from a major studio to make a big film. Pauline Kael, upon hearing the news told him ‘That was the biggest mistake of your life.’ Broughton and Sheets returned to San Francisco but their relationship did not last. In 1962 Broughton married Suzanna Hart with whom he had two children. Their family was an integral part of the northern California creative community of the time. Broughton’s films THE BED and GOLDEN POSITIONS brought him additional fame.
“In 1975 he met Joel Singer, 35 years his junior. Singer fell instantly in love and took little time in seducing Broughton. Their first roll in the hay lasted for several days and Broughton never returned to his family. Suzanna confesses on film that she has never recovered from her abandonment. Their son Orion appears in the film but his daughters refused to participate.
“Broughton is certainly an American original. His poetry and filmmaking, examples of which abound in this documentary, are filled with whimsy and mirth. He was active in the Radical Faeries and involved with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a notorious group of San Francisco men who lived communally, dressed as nuns. Regrettably, the film does not give us much detail on Broughton’s life in the nunnery. One leaves BIG JOY wanting to know much more. 4.5 cats
“(BIG JOY: THE ADVENTURES OF JAMES BROUGHTON screened at the 2013 Tribeca film Festival.)”