One of the more provocative documentaries to come down the pike in recent years, to say the least, "Sick: The Life and Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist" is the story of the late performance artist whose specialty was the demonstration of self-inflicted pain.
Shown at Sundance to great acclaim, this is not a film for the faint-hearted and will no doubt leave audiences sharply divided, if not queasy. An item for only the most adventurous art houses, it was showcased at Lincoln Center's New Directors/New Films fest.
Flanagan, who died last year, was born with cystic fibrosis, and like most victims of the disease, was not expected to live very long. Not only did he survive into his 40s, but he used his disease as a psychological springboard to examine the nature of pain and suffering. His act consisted of demonstrations of the many varieties of masochism, and he found a perfect partner for both his life and his work in his wife, Sheree Rose, a convivial sadist.
Kirby Dick's documentary, made with the cooperation of the artist's widow, offers many examples of Flanagan's work, as well as an up-close and personal look at a romantic couple who seemed to have stepped out of a David Lynch film.
The performance and art pieces on display here will certainly inspire spirited debate as to their merits or lack thereof, but there is no doubt about Flanagan's commitment to his work or the warped appeal of his humorous, self-deprecating personality.
We get to see many of his greatest hits, including his most notorious bit, in which he nails his genitalia to a wooden board. (From the squirming in the theater, you'd actually think that the jaded urbanites in the audience had never seen this sort of thing before.) Other highlights include "The Visible Man", a takeoff on the classic instructional toy, in which he explicitly demonstrates a wide variety of bodily functions; and "Autopsy", in which Sheree illustrates in full detail the extent of Flanagan's physical alterations thanks to their mutual obsession.
For a long time, audience members may feel that if Flanagan had really wanted to experience suffering, all he needed to do was sit through this film. And yet, as "Sick" progresses and we come to some understanding of the physical and psychological underpinning of his obsessions, it's hard not to be strangely moved by his courage, determination and iconoclasm.
The final segments, graphically depicting the final stages of the disease that finally caused his death, form a powerfully moving coda.
SICK: THE LIFE AND DEATH
OF BOB FLANAGAN, SUPERMASOCHIST
Producer-director Kirby Dick
Editors Kirby Dick, Dody Dorn
Original score Blake Leyh
Associate producers Dody Dorn, Sheree Rose
Camera Jonathan Dayton, Kirby Dick
Sheree Rose, Geza Sinkovics
Interviewers Kathe Burkhart, Kirby Dick
Rita Valencia
Color/stereo
Running time -- 90 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Shown at Sundance to great acclaim, this is not a film for the faint-hearted and will no doubt leave audiences sharply divided, if not queasy. An item for only the most adventurous art houses, it was showcased at Lincoln Center's New Directors/New Films fest.
Flanagan, who died last year, was born with cystic fibrosis, and like most victims of the disease, was not expected to live very long. Not only did he survive into his 40s, but he used his disease as a psychological springboard to examine the nature of pain and suffering. His act consisted of demonstrations of the many varieties of masochism, and he found a perfect partner for both his life and his work in his wife, Sheree Rose, a convivial sadist.
Kirby Dick's documentary, made with the cooperation of the artist's widow, offers many examples of Flanagan's work, as well as an up-close and personal look at a romantic couple who seemed to have stepped out of a David Lynch film.
The performance and art pieces on display here will certainly inspire spirited debate as to their merits or lack thereof, but there is no doubt about Flanagan's commitment to his work or the warped appeal of his humorous, self-deprecating personality.
We get to see many of his greatest hits, including his most notorious bit, in which he nails his genitalia to a wooden board. (From the squirming in the theater, you'd actually think that the jaded urbanites in the audience had never seen this sort of thing before.) Other highlights include "The Visible Man", a takeoff on the classic instructional toy, in which he explicitly demonstrates a wide variety of bodily functions; and "Autopsy", in which Sheree illustrates in full detail the extent of Flanagan's physical alterations thanks to their mutual obsession.
For a long time, audience members may feel that if Flanagan had really wanted to experience suffering, all he needed to do was sit through this film. And yet, as "Sick" progresses and we come to some understanding of the physical and psychological underpinning of his obsessions, it's hard not to be strangely moved by his courage, determination and iconoclasm.
The final segments, graphically depicting the final stages of the disease that finally caused his death, form a powerfully moving coda.
SICK: THE LIFE AND DEATH
OF BOB FLANAGAN, SUPERMASOCHIST
Producer-director Kirby Dick
Editors Kirby Dick, Dody Dorn
Original score Blake Leyh
Associate producers Dody Dorn, Sheree Rose
Camera Jonathan Dayton, Kirby Dick
Sheree Rose, Geza Sinkovics
Interviewers Kathe Burkhart, Kirby Dick
Rita Valencia
Color/stereo
Running time -- 90 minutes
No MPAA rating...
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