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A Gray State (2017)
A tragic but fascinating documentary.
I watched this documentary while under the weather. It's at once compelling because the man it talks about is so driven and compelled to make a movie but spirals into a desperately sad situation.
I would recommend watching this documentary as there are several points where you can see how the internet and conspiracy theories can play into the actions and beliefs of an unwell person.
I found the ending, which involves a prolonged shot of a crime scene a touch insensitive but this also served a purpose. The point being in my opinion that a grand act such as a murder suicide really doesn't solve anything. Life continues and it's exponentially worse for the people who are left to pick up the pieces.
That said I feel this film tell the very difficult story of a man who felt he had a story to tell and ended up in the very darkest of situations.
I Am Your Father (2015)
Truly a documentary about both the subject and the film-maker set against a background of injustice.
I was in a bar in Nova Scotia when I first heard about this film. A friend of mine, someone who fully engages in his fandom for all things Star Wars, Horror and Conan the Barbarian mentioned over a pint of Guinness about this documentary concerning David Prowse called "I am your Father" and how he had been roundly and seemingly unfairly 86'd from the official Star Wars community. At that point I realized for the first time that "yes, of course.. he's not been in attendance at any of the Star Wars Celebrations". It seemed baffling, a white wash of an actor who played such an iconic character. I did not see this film until back in England and unceremoniously noticing it on Netflix gave it a click.
What you have with "I am your Father" is not so much "a" documentary as two documentaries intertwined which tell a sad but also uplifting story of fandom, betrayal and ultimately redemption. Sort of.
One story is that of Dave Prowse, his career, bodybuilding, Hammer Horror monster, cast as Darth Vader (and The Green Cross Code man at the same time) and how over the years and through misunderstanding, gossip and press intrusion his relationship with LucasFilm soured and he was ostracized from the George Lucas fold.
The other story is that of a die-hard fan and an exploration of that fandom. Wanting to be close to the art, the artist, the players that you feel so close to. With that the director Marcos Cabota becomes part of the story, a sort of gonzo documentary if you will (in the Hunter S Thompson sense) with his actions affecting the plot and how the arc of Dave Prowse's relationship with the character of Darth Vader will eventually reach a better conclusion, rewriting history in a sense.
What I sincerely appreciated about this film was that it was clear the film maker was genuinely a fan of Star Wars and of Dave Prowse and his portrayal of Darth Vader. This film didn't set out to tell the definitive story of David Prowse and his career (although I think it did a very good job of exploring his trajectory) but to reveal the trouble that can come out of something so wonderful. And how a seemingly innocent and well meaning actor can be treated poorly by the capricious nature of a gigantic media company.
You leave the film I believe hoping that George Lucas would at some point see it, make amends and that Dave Prowse's own story would end with redemption in the same way that Darth Vader had its closure at the end of Return of the Jedi (Spoiler... and more about that scene in a moment).
The director himself wants to recreate the end of Return of the Jedi with Dave Prowse in Darth Vaders death scene instead of the original actor. I had always found it baffling that they didn't use Dave Prowse as he had more than a passing resemblance to Mark Hamill and could have very well passed as his father with a little aging make up. As for the West Country accent... well that too could have been worked on.
The intention of the director to recreate this scene speaks to the level of his fandom and for any massive fan of Star Wars, who wouldn't want to recreate scene or work directly with an actor in a shot for shot remake. And with the intention of righting a perceived wrong this adds to the veritable brilliance of the idea. Now this I can imagine with many people would seem self indulgent, making the director too much the focus and could even be seen as exploitative, but I would disagree. It for me solidifies fandom, completes the circle and gives Dave Prowse the chance to finish his work as that great character.
All in all this is a documentary well worth watching if you are a star wars fan or just a fan of cinema in general. There are glimpses into the inner politics of film making/ marketing (it's a ruthless business by all accounts) and the power that LucasFilm holds. It does nothing to tarnish the love and adoration fans have for Star Wars but gives you insight into the life of an actor and thoroughly decent gentleman who could have been treated a lot better and deserves to be front and centre when it comes to Star Wars lore.