In the Realms of the Unreal (2004)

Documentary. I rented In the Realms of the Unreal in December 2006 though now Netflix offers it via Instant Viewing. It is the strange yet intriguing tale of a disturbed yet evocative artist. (Note: You really need to love art and the exploration of new meaning it invites to fully appreciate the subject of this well-done if unglamorous documentary.) Henry Darger was an antisocial nobody all his life, working as a janitor and living in a spare room provided by neighbors. He rarely spoke with anyone and lived like a virtual hermit, dedicating himself to working on a mass of illustrations depicting his 15,000-page neo-Edwardian fantasy ouevre. He died alone with no friends or relatives. Today he is considered the most influential "outside artist" who, like Grandma Moses, was discovered late in life or (in Darger's case) posthumously -- lacking any formal training or influence whatsoever yet producing artistic work of a chilling and inimitable vision. His work is that of an amateur but in the vein of Arthur Rackham or the Campbell's soup kids. Perhaps like Ted Kaczynski, he had apparently undergone a great deal of perceived or actual neglect or abuse as a child, but unlike the Unabomber, he spent his life in quiet and devoted artistic creativity. Darger poured out his soul into stories and murals depicting a band of cherubic blond girls, heroines in peace and in war while constantly under threat of brutal attack and slaughter by imperialistic hordes of adults. The documentary patiently and impartially portrays what little we know of Darger's life and what we might infer from his work, panning slowly over scenes of battle and peace treaties. Darger's is without doubt a unique and idiosyncratic artistic vision -- but if you truly love the mystery that is the artistic soul, the creative product of this tormented man's life may stay with you for a long time. 4 stars.