Crumb Details

Crumbs!!!

Robert Crumb is one of my heroes because he's one of the 20th centurys great artists who created some of most important iconic images of the 60s & 70s.

This doucmentry charts his early history growing up in 50's America, moving on to his rise as an artist in the 60s underground 'comix' movements and beyond.

The film also looks with some detail at members of his family and what a disfunctional bunch they are. His older brother Charles was a great influence on Robert through childhood and teens but suffered a mental breakdown when he was in his late teens. The comics the young Crumbs made together are particulary interesting.

I found this documentry to be very well made with even handed opinions on the great man. The interviews with Roberts family are very intimate and although very strange people, they moved me.

This film is a must for anyone who has an interest in 60's subcultures.

Peace,

[Highly rated reviewer]

An exemplary piece of work

Robert Crumb is probably still an under-appreciated genius, although Zwigoff's documentary should do much to change that. Eschewing any directorial or cinematic tricks (at Crumb's own insistence), instead, we are presented with a straightforward run through of Robert's life, and that of his sundry families. From tragic, dysfunctional brothers, an appalling-sounding father, and various relationships, we build up a picture of a man struggling to keep an even keel in a world he largely abhors. His method? To release the angst through his often shocking, usually hilarious cartoons. A couple of critics are wheeled out to outline the anti-reaction; against them we have Robert Hughes, making an excellent case for Crumb's art. The culmulative effect of this film is enormous, and enormously touching, as well. Given that Crumb professes to hate humanity, he comes across as a rather fine human being, and full of that rarest quality - genuine integrity.