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Tarnation

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Synopsis

A startlingly original montage of a film about the troubled childhood of a young gay man that he constructed from his own home camcorder footage.

Review

During an era when reality television has the general public obsessed with their opportunity to introduce themselves and their life story, it’s not surprising that people would have the idea of sharing their home videos with the world. That is basically what Jonathan Caouette did in creating his revolutionary documentary "Tarnation."

Using footage the filmmaker captured or saved from his childhood up until his current age in his young thirties, the film disturbingly unravels a very troubled family history. The formula is unusual, the content heartbreaking and the composition is unsettlingly personal.

Caouette examines and defines his sexuality while trying to understand the nature of his mother’s lithium overdose. Investigating and dissecting he and his mother’s childhood and past family life, the facts are revealed to us through all of this vintage footage combined with various edited images to help express the pain and passion of this filmmaker’s artistry.

Created for less than what most people pay for their car insurance each month, Caouette’s audacious film caught the attention of acclaimed director Gus Van Sant and John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch) who served as executive producers. Certainly not a feel good film, but whether you love or hate it, there is no denying “Tarnation” is brave, original and daring.

-- Chris Lombardi

Customer Reviews

A Personal Photo Album

Amos Lassen wrote on 02/22/2011:

“TARNATION”
A Personal Photo Album
Amos Lassen
“Tarnation” made for less than $300 is an autobiographical documentary made by Jonathan Caouette. It is chaotic, it is blurry, it is weird but most of all it is real. It is also one of the most touching films I have ever seen. Caouette recorded\his family concentrating on the mistreatment of his mother and the impact it had on his own life He used old home movies and photographs to assemble a collage which documents his and his mother’s lives. Some of this includes his mothers various stints at psychiatric hospitals and his own entrance into the world of underground filmmaking.
The style that we get both disquiets and disorients and is anarchistic. I am sure that not many have been able to sit through the entire film (although I did). The film is grainy and repeats itself several times. The director devised his own techniques and uses them over and over.
There is great material here for a film if it were given to the right person. One terrible thing after another seems to happen to him and his family.
The film does take shape and show prose when Caouette concentrates on his own gay life. His coming out story is interesting and his life as a gay male is fascinating. There are even parts of his familial life that are interesting to watch.
If you are able to sit through the entire movie, you will see something that will break your heart and your spirit. I only wish that the whole thing would have been more professional.