The camera is too eager to swim in the artist's sea, but it might've revealed more if it had paused to let our imaginations provide the movement, as Darger's presumably did.
In the Realms of the Unreal (2004)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted: 60
Fresh: 43
Rotten:17
Average Rating: 6.7/10
Consensus: A fascinating treatment on the life of a reclusive man.
Runtime: 82 mins
Genre: Education/General Interest
Theatrical Release: Dec 22, 2004 Limited
Box Office: $164,868
Synopsis: IN THE REALMS OF THE UNREAL: THE MYSTERIOUS ART AND LIFE OF HENRY DARGER explores the fascinating mind of a reclusive, obsessive man who spent much of his life working on a 15,000-page illustrated book about the ultimate battle of good... IN THE REALMS OF THE UNREAL: THE MYSTERIOUS ART AND LIFE OF HENRY DARGER explores the fascinating mind of a reclusive, obsessive man who spent much of his life working on a 15,000-page illustrated book about the ultimate battle of good versus evil, focusing on young girls in serious danger. Born and raised in and around Chicago, Henry Darger was a lonely, strange child who had no friends and an ailing father. Sent to the Asylum for Feeble-Minded Children, Darger was different from the other kids. In 1909, when he was seventeen, he began compiling "The Story of the Vivian Girls, in what is Known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion," a massive undertaking about a fierce war that involved Christian soldiers, heathens, and the seven pretty Vivian Girls. Jessica Yu's documentary draws remarkable parallels between Darger's fantasy world and his real life, based on material discovered in his apartment after his death in 1973. She also speaks with Darger's landlord and the few neighbors and churchgoers who knew him, opting not to talk to art critics or psychiatrists, instead letting the audience choose for itself whether Darger was a madman or a genius. She also brings Darger's colorful collage art to life, using old-fashioned animation techniques. The compelling film is narrated by Dakota Fanning, with passages from Darger's writings read by Larry Pine. [More]
Director: Jessica Yu
Director: Jessica Yu
Screenwriter: Jessica Yu
Producer: Jessica Yu, Susan West
Composer: Jeff Beal
Studio: Wellspring
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Reviews for In the Realms of the Unreal
It was Yu's mistaken belief that experts would detract from her intimate approach that gives the film its tenuity, the lingering sense that far too little has been explored.
could've been riveting stuff if only its subject was half as interesting as its approach
A stylistic triumph and a sad but also romantic depiction of an artist in his purest state.
Instead of stooping to armchair psychology, this marvelous movie trusts its fascinating subject matter to spin its own web of mystery and melancholia.
Suggests only that Darger’s inner life was rich but came out in simple and unfocused art. . . . What Darger needs isn’t fan fiction, but insightful analysis and criticism.
The best thing about In the Realms of the Unreal are the sequences in which Darger's drawings, of epic battles and pigtailed heroines, are gently animated -- the pictures brought to life with subtle, fluttering motion.
...a fascinating sort of connect-the-dots that allows us to essentially piece together our very own personalized portrait of this most curious of artists.
Walks the line between being just creepy enough to be interesting and being completely disturbing.
Latest News for In the Realms of the Unreal
May 04, 2007:
SFIFF Report: Red Carpet, Parker Posey, Capsule Reviews!
It's been half a century since the San Francisco International Film Festival began (making it the longest-running domestic fest of its kind) and its lineup reflects that history... More...
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