Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
This 2005 documentary film chronicles the life of Daniel Johnston, a manic-depressive genius singer/songwriter/artist, from childhood up to the present, with an emphasis on his mental illness and how it manifested itself in demonic self-obsession.
The Devil and Daniel Johnston is a remarkable character study that benefits from an extraordinary subject — Daniel Johnston's life, mental illness, and outsider genius are genuinely gripping and singular. The documentary's plot structure, weaving home movies, interviews, and Johnston's own art and music, is exceptionally compelling. Novelty is high because Johnston himself is one-of-a-kind, and the film captures his voice and world with real intimacy and specificity that few music documentaries achieve. Cinematography is competent but not distinctive — it leans heavily on archival footage, which suits the subject but isn't visually ambitious in its own right. Acting is not applicable in a traditional sense; interview subjects are earnest and revealing. The ending, while emotionally resonant, doesn't quite resolve with the dramatic power the film builds toward, leaving things somewhat open-ended in a way that is honest but not wholly satisfying.