Title: Crumb
Director: Terry Zwigoff
Staring: Robert Crumb
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics
Genre(s): Documentary
Rated: R (For graphic sex-related cartoons, and for language)
I think what fascinates me about movies like “Crumb” are the people they show and not the talent they display. Being a fan of comics the works of Robert Crumb are of interest to me. Not only is it hard to get into the whole underground comics world without some knowledge of Fritz The Cat, but his “Keep On Trucking” art is still widely seen to this day. Yet Crumb’s artwork is also filled with racial stereotypes, dark sexual fantasies, and portraits of people that are so real they’re almost unflattering. Reading his comics you would probably rightfully assume he was a dirty perverted man masturbating to his own artwork in his basement. Well...okay he’s that too, but he also turns out to be a smart guy who has a unique critical view of the world.
He loves jazz. He has a wife and daughter. He collects many albums and he considers those his prized possessions. Then he goes to visit his brothers and we gain more respect for him. One of his brothers named Charles started drawing comics as a kid but then stopped suddenly, developing a strange phobia that prevents him from leaving his house. Now he appears suicidal and on the verge of a nervous breakdown. His other brother is Max who lives in a shoddy apartment complex where he hides from the world practicing some sort of Buddha rituals and making obscure paintings that will never leave his room until he dies. All three brothers have unkind things to say about their childhood, though they are cautious not to talk about their parents.
Watching the movie is an exercise in compassion. Looking at old photos of these men it’s obvious that they were regular kids like any one of us and looked as normal as could be. They all had problematic childhoods though and now they are wasting away. Crumb appears to be the worst at a younger age but somehow managed to channel his talents into his artwork and eventually make some money off it. In a strange way his artwork saved his life. Now an adult he still views the world with an apathetic eye and has to defend himself. One woman asks him bluntly whether his portrayal of women in his comics set a wrong image in a child’s mind about what women are like. Crumb doesn’t know how to answer her, just saying “I don’t know if it’s good or not but I have to do it.”
This may sound ignorant but listening to his brothers talk it’s clear that he’s letting punt up feelings go in his artwork which in return is allowing him to live life just a little bit better. I myself has always had more respect for Crumb’s artwork then love. I actually side with many of his critics in that it’s too sexualized, perverse, and obscene. After watching this movie I’m no bigger a fan of it. But the movie has helped me to appreciate the man behind it a little bit more, and as a result I understand the artwork a little bit better. Ironically it’s the artwork itself that is the low point of the film, as Crumb’s family life and views of the world are much more interesting to observe.
Ultimately though this is a very entertaining movie about an odd man who lives an odd life made all the more remarkable that he appeared to have no future prospects until he found his love of art. Chances are the man will put off many people but I found him to be a fascinating individual. More so then any CEO or world traveler, this is a man who looks like the average American and lives the average American life in many ways. It’s been years since this film was made and Crumb has since moved to France where he lives in seclusion with his family. He still publishes books though, and I can imagine him listening to a jazz record while drawing unattractive women and children in his notebook.
Grade: **** and a half stars
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