I sat down and watched the HBO documentary "Kurt Cobain Montage of Heck" as it debuted last night and am still reeling from the utter sense of devastation it leaves you with.
It's a raw and riveting two hours and by all accounts one of the best rock documentaries I've ever seen in that it really seeks to stray from the standard story arch typical of this style film which builds in a predictable incline to mounting fame followed by the enivatble downfall. And instead, takes some fearless detours that delve head first into the spirling darkness attached to the man behind the fleeting rock God. Stock full of old home videos, childhood audio (baby Kurt breaks my heart) diary entities, notes and drawings, as well as a running animation of his art threaded throughout the film that all work brilliantly to help shape a full and complex portrait of a boy growing up a self proclaimed misfit, later a staggering punk idol, a "genius," a son, a father, a junky. And ultimately, one more sad suicide statistic.
I can't put into words just yet how deeply seeing it has affected me but when I can, I hope to share some clearer thoughts on it soon.