Tarnation, Director Jonathan Caouette (2003)

I thought it was really interesting how Jonathan chose to start the film with his mother Renee singing “this little light of mine” looking a mess, disheveled, and living in a gross and messy house. This scene really makes the viewer question what is going on, who is this lady? What is wrong with her? Is she sick? The beginning of the documentary also resembles a horror movie with the eerie music and the deranged lady, it is difficult to understand what was going on, but I was definitely afraid. Overall this scene was a very strong introduction to what the rest of the documentary would lead up to. I love when movies start at the end, it definitely kept my attention while keeping me wondering at the same time. 

I loved how Jonathan described the tragedy of his and his family’s life through subtitles and flashes of still and moving images. Besides the introduction, which features a preview of the end, the rest of the documentary follows the temporal order of Jonathan’s life. After seeing the entire documentary, I was inspired by how Jonathan reflected on his life and feelings through images, music and narration. The film as a whole provides a great representation of the emotional rollercoaster that is his life.

Throughout the viewing process, this documentary often made me feel sad, uncomfortable, and intrigued at the same time. When 11 year old Jonathan acts dramatically as a beaten pregnant woman I was shocked, yet could not tear my eyes away from the screen. To see a child swear and discuss violent ideas so dramatically definitely  foreshadowed all the trouble that was to come in his life.

After watching this documentary there were also some quotes that really resonated with me. When Jonathan said “Oh wow… life is a trip … seems like one long dream” in my opinion, this was exactly how this movie was presented.  In addition, when Jonathan’s Grandfather says “it can turn form a bright sunny day to a stormy one” I thought this also reflected several aspects of their family’s life.

Some of my favorite parts of the film were how Jonathan mixes found music videos with his footage, how he transitions through the TV static, and how he films himself filming himself. As a viewer I loved being aware of the creative process that was going on.  When Jonathan grabs the camera, or when he interviews Renee I was amazed to see the film process take place. When Jonathan filmed his grandmother, Rosemary, the handheld filming really gave me a personal point of view and made me feel like I was there. It is the combination of these editing and filming techniques that I think make the film such a success. When the camera focused on Renee singing “I’m a little tea pot” near the end of the film, she is so out of it. I felt as if I had watched this woman's horrible life unfold before my eyes. This particular scene is so long and so painful to watch. I felt as if I should not be watching but somehow could not help myself. 

Overall this film successfully and artistically demonstrates how drugs, alcohol, and unfortunate circumstances can ruin peoples lives. It is interesting to see how much the people in your life can impact your decisions and ultimately shape who you become. I believe that anyone who has gone through a troubling time in their life would find comfort in relating to this documentary.

The movie mrailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLDQL23nutw

Jonathan's 11 year old Performance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en7ltF2kCXg