Bukowski: Born Into This
Director John Dullaghan’s biographical documentary about infamous poet Charles Bukowski, Bukowski: Born Into This, is as much a touching portrait of the author as it is an exposé of his sordid lifestyle. Interspersed between ample vintage footage of Bukowski’s poetry readings are interviews with the poet’s fans including such legendary figures such as Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Joyce Fante (wife of John), Bono, and Harry Dean Stanton. Filmed in grainy black and white by Bukowski’s friend, Taylor Hackford, due to lack of funding, the old films edited into this movie paint Bukowski’s life of boozing and brawling romantically, securing Bukowski’s legendary status.
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- Cast:
- Charles Bukowski , Harry Dean Stanton , Sean Penn , Bono , Linda Bukowski , Taylor Hackford , Barbet Schroeder
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Reviews
People are voting emotionally.
It is a performances centric movie
It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.
The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one
Bukowski: Born Into This (2003): Dir: John Dullaghan / Featuring: Charles Bukowski, Linda Lee, John Martin, Bono, Marina Bukowski: Documentary about writer and poet Charles Bukowski whose work has achieved cult standing with his dark, cynical and somewhat comical view of life. Director John Dullaghan presents interview footage of Bukowski in colour and black and white where he discusses his abuse as a child as well as various sexual flings until he married Linda Lee, the one woman who seemed strong enough to tolerate his cynical and abusive nature. He worked at a post office and viewers are informed of the time he quit and his method of re-hire. John Martin was his editor and publisher who enabled Bukowski a salary while presenting his writing in print. Various celebrities comment on his work and behaviour but their contribution, however merit, do not add so much as distract from the more important subject, which is actual footage of Bukowski himself. Celebrities can tell much but they seem more as a marketing tool than an important collaborator. John Dullaghan's film should appeal to those scholars who study the intellect of men like Bukowski. He is presented as a man who saw only the dark side of life but delights us with his humorous presentation of it. He was born into a world where he saw no hope but scoffed the grim reality of humanity. Score: 8 ½ / 10
Charles Bukowski was arguably the greatest poet of the twentieth century. His output sustained its quality long after that of Beats such as Allen Ginsburg had faded, while still retaining a daring unknown to figures such as Robert Frost. This documentary gives insight into Bukowski's life, showing both his artistry and his personal problems.Particularly for someone who is new to Bukowski's work, this film will be a revelation. The documentary artfully combines information about the poet's life with excerpts of his work, including a reading of "Dinosauria, We" the poem which gave the film its title. We see how the artistry reflected the reality of Bukowski's life, particularly fitting given the experiential focus of his work.The film is not a hagiography, and gives extensive coverage to the poet's dark side. However, it makes clear that his behavior was a mechanism of coping with his childhood traumas and sensitivity. Ultimately, it is a moving portrait of a flawed man.
I'd never heard Bukowski speak before. I'd seen the pictures and read the words. This hard-nosed writer surprised me as a very soft spoken, very sensitive artist. His intimidating face became friendlier and friendlier to me as the film progressed. With this movie, you get to see a lot of interview footage and a lot of personal commentary from close friends. You get your heart tugged at when his childhood is filled in for you. You laugh at his wit while handling interviewers. And you probably get thirsty looking at all the wine and beer he drinks. The only thing I didn't care for about this was the ever-so-pompous Bono sharing his 2 cents.
An old friend of mine used to regail me with stories of Charles Bukowski, the great everyman poet who wasn't afraid to tell it like it his, who didn't care at all about formalism or what had come before him...he just wanted to put his essence on the page (no matter how crudely he might fashion it). BUKOWSKI: BORN INTO THIS is a great show into the life of this man. It meanders at points, and tries a bit too hard to exemplify this guy, but you can't argue with some of the majestic footage different folks got. A scene shot in 1986 shows a drunk Bukowski yelling at his wife and then literally trying to kick her off the couch...footage that silenced the auditorium and solidified the idea of Bukowski as a drunken belligerent. But at another point, we see Bukowski cry while reading a poem of his about a woman he lost...completely different from the mythical man. Other stories of his rudeness are shadowed by stories of his covert kindness. There is nothing incredibly special about how this is shot...but for any Bukowski fan, this is a must-see...the most in-depth look into the life of the man so far shown in America. Too bad that one of the greatest American poets ever is more famous abroad than at home.