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44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The ultimate outsider, March 21, 2005
Jessica Yu has crafted a fascinating look at the life and work of Henry Darger, a reclusive Chicago janitor, living in near-poverty who created an illustrated 15-something thousand page novel (among other works) titled "The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What is Known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinian War Storm". "Realms" tells the story of the Vivian Girls: seven sisters fighting the evil, child-enslaving Glandelinians, illustrated with over 300 works of art. Amazingly, this huge body of work was discovered after Darger's death in his small room by his landlords. Even more amazingly, his landlords recognized that they had something of value, and kept the works intact.
Yu makes some very interesting choices presenting Darger's life. First, defying convention, she doesn't trot out the usual suspects of art critics and psychologists to tell us what were supposed to be thinking about Darger's life and work; she interviews the people who interacted with him (notice I didn't use the word "knew"- none of them can agree what he was like). Even his landlady, who housed him for decades admits that nobody really knew him. Second, she opens out Darger's art by animating it; a risky choice that pays off. The animated portions of the film bring the other-wordliness of Darger's art out in a way that static shots never could.
Lastly, pitch-perfect readings of Darger's work (by Larry Pine, Dakota Fanning, and others) really help give this film a feeling that is as magical, disturbing, sad and beautiful as Darger's work itself.
The movie is in limited release around the country. I urge you to see it. If you're in New York, go to the Folk Art Museum and see Darger's work. It's incredible stuff, and even more incredible when you realise what Darger might have given up to create them.
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26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Art, Isolation, and the Unreal World Within., June 23, 2005
"In the Realms of the Unreal" explores the life and work of Henry Darger, a reclusive Chicago janitor who died in 1973, leaving behind 30,000 pages of writings and hundreds of pieces of artwork which no one knew existed while he lived. Director Jessica Yu approaches Darger's story from three points of view: that of Henry, himself, which he recorded in an autobiography; how those who knew him saw Henry; and the story told in Henry's magnum opus, a 15,000-page novel, laboriously entitled "The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What is known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinnian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion".
Larry Pine provides Henry's voice, as he narrates his Dickensonian childhood and youth, thorough an adulthood of self-imposed isolation and struggles with faith, to this reluctant retirement. Luckily, his autobiography is frank, because Henry avoided interaction with people and spent every spare moment in his room creating the universe of his novel. Interviews with neighbors, landlords, and acquaintances allow us to see Henry as others did. As Henry's life unfolds, his novel, which he began in 1909 at the age of 17, progresses. The book is about a war between the Christian nation of Abbieannia and the land of Glandelinia, where children are enslaved. The heroes are the 7 cheeky, brave, and saint-like Vivian girl princesses, who lead the child slave rebellion. The novel is narrated by Dakota Fanning. And animators have brought Darger's fascinating illustrations to life in stunning visuals.
Jessica Yu is to be commended for encouraging viewers to come to their own conclusions about Henry Darger. The vibrancy, overwhelming innocence, and creativity of Darger's artwork has made it valuable today. But the artist chose to exist primarily within a fantasy of his own making, writing and painting only for himself. To me, the most fascinating aspect of Henry Darger's work is that it seems like a complete account of someone's fantasy life -which is a rare thing to find. Artists may wonder at the implications of Henry's creating art for "an audience of one". "In the Realms of the Unreal" is an intriguing, beautiful look at art, isolation, and the world within.
The DVD (Wellspring 2005): Bonus features include an interview with director Jessica Yu, some black and white storyboards, a "Photo Gallery" of 6 pieces of Darger's artwork, and a "Director's Filmography". In the "Filmmaker Interview" (30 minutes), Jessica Yu talks about Darger's art, his imaginary world, her approach to telling his story, and making the film. The interview is interesting but much too long.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Yu's Amazing Trip Into Henry Darger, May 22, 2005
Within Yu's invigorating movie we take an extremely intense and magical trip into the litte-known art of Henry Darger. In The Realms of The Unreal introduces us to the brooding and often horrific mind of Henry Darger which is brought to life by amazing voice actors such as Dakota Fanning and Larry Pine.
Yu's treatment of Henry's art is just as sensitive (and engrossing) as her treatment of his art. The surreal dream-like landscapes that Henry Darger created in his huge novel are animated perfectly by Yu. Birds streak across technicolor skies while the children of Albeannia fight the evil Glandelinians in startling motion.
Never before has Darger's life and art been so sensitively told, and I highly suggest this movie to anyone interested in art of any kind. Darger's work is now imitated by thousands of artists across the world and his subversive and disturbing imagery is entirely unqiue and very exciting to see. Not only does Yu truly do justice to this art (she shows at least half of Darger's work) but she uses it to tell the heartbreaking story of a man who only wanted a person to love.
Yu has created a truly great movie and it is, most definitely, a must buy.
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