As a documentary filmmaker, how do you tell the tale of an extraordinary character like Hunter S. Thompson? Gonzo director Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side) tried to “completely reverse the traditional roles of documentary discourse. Usually the narrator is the straight man, and the interview subjects provide the angled, opinionated commentary. In this case, we had the unreliable narrator at the center in Hunter.” Hunter had unique insight. As Alex says, “He had his finger so much on the pulse of the American character—both what makes it great and what makes it horrible. He understood the tremendous idealism in America. At the same time, he always understood the deep fear and loathing, as Hunter would have put it, at the heart of this society.” Hunter’s widow, Anita S. Thompson, will join Alex for Q & A after the film.
—David Holbrooke