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.