The documentary film, Moonage Daydream, begins with a Nietzche quote, followed by Bowie’s voice, then images of the moon. It’s a telling intro to the musical/visual mash-up that awaits you. You may find it a frustrating audio-visual sensory overload. Or a mesmerizing sound and vision experience. I land somewhere in the middle. I found the rapid cutting chaotic, annoying, and fragmented (similar, but even more overstimulating than the 2021 Velvet Underground documentary, see previous post The Velvet Underground Doc is a Testament to Their Everlasting Influence). I did, however, appreciate the never-before-seen live concert footage and viewing his oil and acrylic paintings. Above all, it gave me a better understanding of his life philosophy, the overwhelming need for change and self-exploration, “articulating the strange corners of the mind” in song.
Brett Morgen had approval from the Bowie estate and unfettered access to his archives (Morgen previously directed the outstanding Kurt Cobain documentary, Montage of Heck). Moonage Daydream is not the standard doc format of greatest hits, linear biography, and interviews with family members and fellow artists. This is experience over information, a colorful cosmic stream of consciousness. It will either be the greatest editing you’ve ever seen, or you’ll say “editing, what editing?” It’s an ambitious film about the intertwined art and life of a mercurial performer. (Mercurial indeed, anyone else remember their confusion when listening to Low for the first time?)
Despite the incessant kaleidoscope, deep tracks, rare concerts, and noteworthy images make their presence known. “Hallo Spaceboy,” an excellent song off the experimental concept album, Outside, was a special treat, including the remix version featuring the Pet Shop Boys. “All the Young Dudes,” written by Bowie and made into a huge hit by Mott the Hoople, is highlighted by an early live performance. The concert footage from the early ’70s with Bowie in full glam gear and backed by the Spiders from Mars band is classic. The frolicking “Oh You Pretty Things” and the transcendent “Quicksand,” represent Hunky Dory (see previous post on its 50th anniversary Hunky Dory at 50: David Bowie Finds His Voice and the Rest is Rock History). “Warszawa,” from the instrumental side of Low, makes its ominous appearance. The music weaves through the art, film, and fashion montage. Film clips abound and if you’re paying attention, you’ll catch War of the Worlds, 2001 Space Odyssey, and Clockwork Orange.
Moonage Daydream is for true Bowie fans only. There are plenty of other docs and books if you want more information about the life and career of David Bowie. (I particularly liked the movie Five Years and the book Starman by Paul Trynka.) The most illuminating part of the experience for me was hearing from Bowie in his own words what drove his continual embrace of change. Much has been written about his chameleon-like nature but hearing his voice was poignant and gave me a deeper understanding of his remarkable inner world. “Our ability to refute chaos is one of the worst mistakes we made.” Stagnation and safety were an intolerable state of affairs for him. “I hate wasted days.” He detested L.A. but made a point to go there “to test his writing.” Even on breaks from touring and recording, the film shows him traveling around the world, particularly Africa and Asia, on a never-ending mission to grow as a human being. “I’ve always been looking for myself.” The search never ended. “None of us exist. We’re in the twilight zone.”
(Moonage Daydream is streaming on Max, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video.)
D² Rating ◼◼◼☐☐
Trivia: During a break from his solo projects, what rock band did Bowie front from 1988-1992?
Answer: Tin Machine
Trivia #2: What is the name of Bowie’s last album released just two days after his death in 2016?
Answer: Blackstar (★), an extraordinary secret swan song with a final style switch; playing with a band of local jazz musicians.