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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, October 29, 2004

Documentary 'Tarnation' truly compelling

By Charles Ealy
The Dallas Morning News

TARNATION

Grade: A

Starring Jonathan Caouette, Renee LeBlanc and Rosemary and Adolph Davis. Directed by Caouette. Unrated (strong language, sexuality, partial nudity, drug use). 88 min.

Jonathan Caouette has made a film that defies description. Some might call it "Capturing the Friedmans" meets Andy Warhol. Others might say it's like a series of home movies from the mind of director David Lynch.

But "Tarnation," a psychedelic, music-laden collage, is really a love letter to a troubled mother from the heart of a 31-year-old man who has survived a horrendous childhood. And for that and other reasons, it transcends the recent trend of self-revelatory documentaries and becomes something rare: art.

Many viewers will find "Tarnation" highly watchable and compelling. But others will feel queasy and uneasy, especially while watching an extended scene of his mentally ill mother singing with a pumpkin.

Cinematically, the movie has a grainy, jerky look, with multiple hallucinatory sequences. And that's entirely appropriate for the subject matter. But what strikes you most about the "Tarnation" experience is the staggering emotional strength and artistic restraint that Caouette displays. Despite footage taken from 20 years of hope and despair, he never descends into narcissism or self-pity. Instead, he keeps his movie moving quickly.

The documentary, pieced together from various photos and video taken by Caouette throughout his life, follows the travails of a Texas mother and child who were abandoned by the child's father. It describes the rape of the mother during a trip to Chicago, the institutionalization of the mother for mental illness, the abusive foster home care for the son, and the eventual adoption of the son by his maternal grandparents.

But the nightmare doesn't end with the adoption. The mother continues to bounce among mental institutions, and the son begins a series of rebellions, including dressing up in Goth drag and heading out to Houston's gay bars. Starting at about age 11, the young Caouette begins to capture his dysfunctional family on an ever-present Super-8 camera.

Part of "Tarnation's" charm stems from its matter-of-fact delivery of various family horrors through simple onscreen text. But its ultimate success centers on a whirlwind of emotions, artfully edited and paired with an incredible pop and rock score.

"Tarnation" isn't easy to watch. But it's compelling and mesmerizing — a journey through one family's deepest troubles and a testament to the restorative powe.