My thoughts on the official Kurt Cobain documentary
It has been more than 20 years since Kurt Cobain took his life and yet for most of us who were already around when that happened we can still clearly remember where we were at the time the tragic news broke out. What a heavy loss it was for all of us. There is no mistaking that it is not everyday that an artist comes along who quickly transcends to mythical status as had happened to Cobain. In fact, that occurrence is so rare. Kurt Cobain is one of the very few who belongs in that classification. For somebody who sadly had lived such a short life, it is still amazing how he has affected all of us in one way or another with his music, words, and beliefs in that span that he was with us. He became more than just the proclaimed figurehead of the Grunge Movement; he was for all intents and purposes the voice of Generation-X, a generation of which I am a part.
Whether you like him or not, there is no denying he made such a huge impact in his profession that to this very day we are still feeling the “ripple effect” of the changes he had brought to the music industry and how popular music would and will be perceived in a whole new light from that moment on. Now, the realization that there will never be anyone else like him again holds more weight than ever before as many, many years have passed and still no one has even come close to duplicating the musical and cultural impact Cobain has made. Indeed, when it comes down to it all, it is true that there will only be one Kurt Cobain.
Now, here are my thoughts about the official Kurt Cobain documentary entitled “Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck” which was directed and written by Brett Morgen. This happens to be the very first authorized documentary about Kurt Cobain’s life, with his daughter Frances Bean Cobain serving as executive producer overseeing the making of this documentary. This film aims to explore parts of Kurt’s life that have either been overlooked or have rarely seen the light of day until now. As indeed, when we speak of Kurt Cobain’s life, it often revolves around two topics and those are the meteoric rise to global fame of his band Nirvana and his tragic self-inflicted death in the month of April in 1994. Brett Morgen delves deeper, as he is here to rectify those by focusing rather on how the man had lived and affected others closest to him.
While watching the documentary “Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck”, the respect given to its production and presentation was not lost on me. For those of us who are still searching for answers to some of our lingering questions regarding Kurt, we will find a few of those answers here as director and writer, Brett Morgen, was able to successfully unravel some of the layers behind the mythos of Kurt Cobain.
Brett Morgen achieved something of great significance not only for anyone who was and is still a fan of Kurt Cobain or was inspired by him. This perfectly-crafted documentary will serve as an essential guide to Kurt’s life and the way he should be remembered. Interviews were conducted with the right people and those who were closest to Kurt–from his mom, his stepmother, even his first girlfriend, his wife Courtney Love, to his bandmates in Nirvana, Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl. Each of them gave us a clearer picture of who Kurt was to them from their own individual perspectives. Their first-hand accounts are not only reliable information but their honesty cannot be questioned when it comes to how much Kurt meant to them in their lives. Just watching and listening to them speak, I got to learn so many new things here about Kurt Cobain that I would have never been able to from any of the previous articles, films, and books about him. When I think of it, this is as close as it can get to hearing the man himself talk about his life.
This documentary is a “treasure chest” of information about Cobain as Brett Morgen was given authorization by his family to look through some of his most personal belongings–journals, writings, and paintings–in aid of putting together the “Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck” documentary. These are all pieces to the puzzle that will provide us factual and insightful bits of who Kurt Cobain was as an artist and not only as a person. To note, none of these materials that belonged to Kurt has ever been seen in any other film about him. It is only here that these priceless selected items left behind by him which are now owned by the family of Kurt were revealed to the public via this documentary. If you haven’t seen “Montage of Heck” yet, then do yourself a favor, and watch it now. This will especially serve the kids and teens who want to have a better understanding of the late Kurt Cobain and to correct any “misconceptions” about him that have been prevalent in the past from those who seemingly would want to rewrite his history. Parents, just be advised of some foul language and drug references, when you watch “Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck” with your children.
This is not your typical documentary. This is about Kurt Cobain’s life.
Hands down, “Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck” is the best documentary I have ever seen about any artist.
