Robert Crumb's beaming, dorky smile and glasses that make his eyes bulge like a bug belie the American cartoonist's more troubling views and controversial comics. Such work has, rather accurately, been labelled as misogynistic and racist by many, and Crumb's gawky demeanour seems at odds with a man who openly admits in Terry Zwigoff's documentary that he has a strong hostility towards women. Zwigoff's film, simply titled Crumb, delves deep into the inner workings of Robert's mind, although it never quite interrogates these views to the fullest potential. This results in a documentary that is unsurprisingly quirky, fascinating, and troubling.
Crumb, now 80, first came to prominence in the 1960s within the underground comix movement, creating small comic books that tackled many elements of American society in a satirical and explicit way. Crumb begins not by looking at Robert's work, but at his family and childhood instead. By doing this, Zwigoff is able to introduce us slowly into the hectic world of the controversial man. We meet his two brothers, Charles and Maxon, and his mother. Robert's father died in the early 1980s and his two sisters declined to be interviewed for the documentary.
The fact that they both declined—the two are alluded to throughout Crumb but never directly mentioned until the end credits—goes some way in highlighting Robert's vitriolic attitude towards women. Zwigoff comes as a relatively detached and neutral observer, only asking a small handful of challenging questions to Robert or his friends and family, although in trying to enforce some of the quirkier, lighter aspects of Robert's personality, Zwigoff minimises the more troubling parts. Jolly music playing over violent comic book scenes or racist caricatures makes Zwigoff's intentions seem either unclear or troubling.
Nevertheless, Zwigoff generally does a good job of showing the myriad of views surrounding Robert; some regard him as an artistic genius, others as a racist and sexist. It is notable that the main people who support Robert and his work in Crumb are white men—although some women do speak in support—and the absence of any Black people or Robert's sisters being interviewed can't be ignored. Perhaps these absences say more than words would, but, for example, Robert's own misguided justification of such racist caricatures are never seriously honed in on by Zwigoff, which can be frustrating.
What Crumb does do effectively is drill into the dark satire of Robert's works, asking the question: When is the line crossed? The answer will differ from person to person, and Zwigoff successfully captures a variety of these views. The director structures Crumb very well; the deeper we go into Robert's work and psyche, the more disturbing it gets. Zwigoff gradually unfurls this world and mind, which only gets more crazed and troubling as the documentary goes on. He picks out the most important parts of Robert's life and family, and backs up certain aspects with montages of his work.
As a glimpse into a troubled family, Crumb is a success. Some of the most compelling parts of the film involve Robert's two brothers, both of whom have lived with serious mental health issues for decades. In fact, Robert is the most stable of the trio. Crumb is propelled forward by Maryse Alberti's artful cinematography, whilst roving camerawork reflects the restlessness of Robert's mind. Crumb's scattered nature reflects its subject's personality; the documentary's occasional lack of incisiveness, however, can be frustrating, and isn't indicative of Robert's own unrestrained, opinionated mindset.
Special Features
- New, restored high-definition digital transfer, approved by director Terry Zwigoff, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
- Two audio commentaries, one featuring Zwigoff from 2010, and one with Zwigoff and critic Roger Ebert from 2006
- More than fifty minutes of unused footage
- Stills gallery
- English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- PLUS: A new essay by critic Jonathan Rosenbaum and artwork by Charles, Jesse, Maxon, and Robert Crumb
Crumb is available as part of the Criterion Collection.
