'Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck'

HBO will air the authorised documentary about Kurt Cobain, lead singer of Nirvana, on the 4th May.

For fans of Kurt Cobain and Nirvana, there isn’t much that is new information but nether the less this film is definitely worth a watch. With 12 minutes of new material and a mixed media format, it is refreshing how it helps to keep some distance from the story without being alienated by it. There will always be a slant to films like this but I feel this time around that a relatively unbiased picture has been achieved, showing as many of Kurt’s flaws as it does his strokes of genius. Whether you are reminiscing or being introduced to the man behind the music for the first time, this is a ride I would recommend.

Kurt Cobain is one of those people whose stardom burnt fast and bright. With only half a decade in the spotlight, it is no wonder that he’s one of the most talked about musicians of my generation. From the moment Brett Morgen’s documentary begins, it is clear that this is not some rose tinted homage, despite being crafted by those who were close to Cobain. This is a no bars hold look at his life for what it was and it’s up to you decide whether you agree with how he lived it.

The aim seems to have been to include as much “evidence” as possible (such as home movies, backstage clips, interviews, newspaper clippings, tv recordings & audio tapes that Cobain recorded throughout his life). The structure of which is what I found most intriguing: all this information is bitty and so to fill the gaps, animations have been created to set scenes for the audio tapes and also to bring Cobain’s sketches to life. The effect is that rather than feeling overloaded, the film is segmented into manageable chapters; switching between interviews, gig footage, music videos and these animations. You’re never allowed to get too engrossed in one particular part of the story or one point of view because it will suddenly switch format. On the most part, I liked this; it was new, interesting and helped me feel like I could form an unbiased decision without being completely emotionally manipulated by a director’s agenda. The only flaw with this design is that there were three distinct moments where it felt like the film had ended. This may have been intended as respite from the flashes of colour, sound and emotional scenes but, for me at least, it left part of the film dragging.

The content itself was solid – the majority of the information wasn’t new but it was well delivered and the revelations we did get felt all the more fascinating for it. The interviews were especially beneficial to the overall project, creating more questions than answers. I ended up leaving with the utmost admiration for the bravery of those creating this film: parents talking about their own flaws and the effect it had on their child’s life is not an easy thing to do, especially to a global audience.

All in all this film is certainly worth seeing whether you know much about Cobain’s life or not and in my opinion it is a worthy commendable addition to Morgen’s catalogue of work.

Review by Victoria Jane Appleton.
See this review on The Fan Carpet.