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KURT AND COURTNEY

Review by Michael Jacobson

Director:  Nick Broomfield
Audio:  unlisted
Video:  Standard 1.33:1
Studio:  Fox Lorber
Features:  Theatrical Trailer, Filmographies, Discographies
Length:  95 Minutes
Release Date:  September 28, 1999

Film ***1/2

Early on in the film Kurt & Courtney, Kurt Cobain’s aunt offers to play a song he recorded on her sound equipment at age 17, one where he even played the percussion himself by banging on a suitcase.  But we never hear the song.  The director explains that Kurt’s widow, Courtney Love, had threatened a lawsuit if he included any of Kurt’s music in his film.  Quite a blow.  So, if you’ve happened to avoid this film because you don’t care for the music of Nirvana, you don’t need to worry.  There is none.

I can still remember the battles over this BBC produced documentary.  The little filmmaker versus the woman who had become a Hollywood giant.  Similar to the war between Frank Sinatra and author Kitty Kelly a decade earlier, one began to wonder if a film that attempted to shed light on such a shady subject as the death of Kurt, and whether or not it really was a suicide, and if his own wife may have been involved, would ever see the light of day.  The good news is, we do have the film, but the bad news is, Courtney Love’s influence against it does show through in more ways than one.

This is a no-frills documentary that’s simply well made, even in consideration of the events in the film that didn’t go as well as they might.  That’s one of the fascinating aspects of documentary filmmaking…the kind of fly by the seat of the pants approach, and the constant uncertainty of the audience knowing that the filmmakers themselves aren’t sure how it’s all going to pan out, or even if it will work.  And I credit director Broomfield for having the guts to leave in some of the less than stellar moments, such as when he accidentally enters a wrong apartment, or when he gets booted off of a stage by the president of the ACLU, or when certain parties he interviewed seemed a bit to strung out to be coherent.

The question that inspired the film is simply, was Kurt Cobain’s death a suicide?  It was ruled that he had in fact ended his own life with a self-afflicted gunshot wound.  I can remember at the time that myself, and friends of mine who were also fans of Nirvana, were saddened by the news, but not overly surprised.  We knew about his complaints of chronic stomach pains (which he attempted to combat with heroin), and his apparent frequent bouts of depression.

But it didn’t take long for conspiracy theorists to begin doubting that the case was so simple.  Beginning with the fact that the shotgun had no fingerprints on it (did someone wipe it clean?) and going deeper into Kurt’s sometimes rocky relationship with his wife, Courtney Love, certain aspects of his death have not set well with certain parties.  Many believed Courtney, with her history for manipulation and drive for success, just might have been responsible.  It is noted in the film that as Kurt’s widower, she now owns everything Kurt owned, including his songs, and had Kurt divorced her instead of died (which was hinted as a possibility), the best she would have acquired would be half.  Even Courtney’s own father seems convinced that Kurt’s death was not a suicide, and that his daughter may have been involved.

But the film is fascinating on two fronts:  in addition to the exploration of the conspiracy theory, there is also attention paid to the increasing fight against the film being made at all.  At certain points, Broomfield finds himself struggling to continue his project, as Courtney aligns forces against him.  At one point later in the movie, the director gets a call that his funding has been rescinded.  As such, this film not only documents its subject matter, but also becomes a kind of documentary of the struggle to make a film of this kind in the face of some powerful enemies.

One segment in particular is praiseworthy.  Though Courtney had repeatedly refused interview requests, Broomfield and his film crew decide to try to talk to her at an ACLU event, where she will be a guest speaker.  Early on, we see a couple of self-proclaimed stalkers training the crew on how to protect themselves against her…they warn, for instance, to watch out for the camera, which she will try to grab.  When the event finally arrives…well, when was the last time you felt a real sense of suspense being created by a non-nature documentary?  I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen.  I was sufficiently prepared, not only by the training sequence, but by seeing and hearing clips of Courtney threatening and cursing out reporters.  With the notion of a possible confrontation, the sequence was electrifying.

In the end, I don’t know if this film is likely to convince anyone of the veracity of the conspiracy theory.  Fact is, Broomfield explores it nicely, with a somewhat open mind and an attempt to include all points of view.  But the movie did give me plenty of information I hadn’t considered before, and it definitely opens the matter up for some consideration.  I’m sure I’ll be thinking about this one for a while to come.

Disc Quality **1/2

In a nutshell, good video, fair audio.  For a documentary, this is actually quite an impressive looking disc.  Not all scenes are as bright and colorful as fictional films with carefully structured cinematography, but I noticed no grain or compression evidence, and images that were sharp and clear, with well defined colors and detail.  The audio, which is unlisted on the box, appears to be a simple stereo mix of some kind.  It’s mostly good, but a bit unclear from time to time…possibly more the fault of the filming limitations than the transfer.

Features **

Although it’s not listed on the box, there is a trailer on the disc, as well as listings for the director, Kurt Cobain, and Courtney Love.

Summary: