Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck

The short life of Kurt Cobain has been the subject of several books, talking head documentaries and various wild theories as to his demise. However, Cobain: Montage of Heck is the first fully-authorised documentary from the Cobain estate.

Retold using unseen home video footage, obscure interviews, notebooks, journals, animation and an entire archive of Cobain's work, director Brett Morgen could have very easily made several documentaries from the wealth of information uncovered during research. Beginning with his humble upbringing in Washington, the documentary doesn't give into the temptation of becoming maudlin or even schmaltzy. The matter-of-fact interviews, including Cobain's wife, Courtney, bandmates Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic and various contemporaries, are fascinating to watch.

What's clear from Montage of Heck is that Cobain was a deeply troubled individual. Sure, he was the voice of a generation and his magnetism shines through in all of the grainy, VHS footage the documentary relies upon. What imbues the documentary with heart and, indeed, gives us an insight into his life is the level of respect that's given to his work and his friends. This documentary could have easily become a cookie-cutter, bland expose about the inner workings of a man who had demons but made great music.

Instead, we're shown the innermost workings of an artist who desperately strived for credibility in a world that continuously placed less and less value on such a thing. We're reminded of his greatness, his darkness and his desperate struggle to be something more.

Morgen's direction is light to the touch. It almost feels, in a way, that Montage of Heck is a companion piece to the musical collage that shares its name. Incidentally, Montage of Heck is played almost in full during the course of the documentary and it's truly stunning to hear. Die-hard grunge / Nirvana fans will be rewarded here, but so will the passionate music fan who had a passing interest in them.

Deep, dark, insightful, Montage of Heck is a well-told, deeply intimate portrait of an artist. Recommended.