![]() ![]() It was Charles, the oldest, who firststarted to draw comic strips, and then Robert began to copy him. (There were also two sisters, who declined toparticipate in the film.) All three brothers retreated into fantasies in anattempt to cope with their home life. It is about the artist, who grew upin a dysfunctional family led by a father who was an overbearing tyrant - adepressive, sadistic bully who, according to this film, beat his sons and lostfew opportunities to demean them. No less an authority than Robert Hughes, theart critic of Time magazine, appears in "Crumb" to declare him"the Brueghel of the last half of the 20th century." But"Crumb" is not really about the art, although it will cause you tolook at his familiar images with a new eye. His new work is shown in galleriesand is in important collections. Hisoriginal illustrations and the first editions of his 1960s and 1970sunderground comic books command high prices. OfCrumb's importance and reputation, there is not much doubt. "Crumb" was directed by TerryZwigoff, who had two advantages: He had known Crumb well for years, and Zwigoffwas himself so unhappy and suicidal during the making of the film that in asense Crumb let him do it as a favor. Movieslike this do not usually get made because the people who have lives like thisusually are not willing to reveal them. It is the kind of film that you watch in disbelief, as layer afterlayer is peeled away, and you begin to understand the strategies that have keptCrumb alive and made him successful while one of his brothers became a reclusein an upstairs bedroom and the other passes his time literally sitting on a bedof nails. "Crumb,"which is one of the most remarkable and haunting documentaries ever made, tellsthe story of Robert Crumb, his brothers Max and Charles, and an Americanchildhood that looks normal in old family photographs but conceals deep woundsand secrets. ![]()
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