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___
___ BEAT
MUSIC______
KURT AND COURTNEY - A FILM BY NICK BROOMFIELD
Kurt and Courtney is a new documentary from award-winning English film maker/journalist Nick Broomfield, whose previous works have had Margaret Thatcher and Heidi Fleiss as their subjects.
In his latest offering, Broomfield travels across America in his quest to find the truth behind the death of Kurt Cobain, the singer/songwriter of rock group Nirvana, who apparently committed suicide in 1994.
Starting in Seattle, Cobain's home town, the director tracks down people who knew the singer before he hit the big time with America's first hugely successful punk band.
Cobain's, aunt Mary, a former girlfriend and a teacher who took the young Kurt into his home during a difficult period in the boy's home life, are among the early interviewees. These three distinguish themselves in that they are the only people in the film who seem to have any real feelings for Cobain.
Later on Broomfield talks to some genuinely disturbing individuals, including Hank Harrison, the father of Kurt's wife, Courtney Love, who claims that his daughter had the singer murdered. There is also the private detective whose career has been ruined because of his obsession with the same theory.
Evidence is provided in the shape of a character known as El Duce, who plays up to his frightening reputation in front of camera. A cult figure on the LA underground rock scene, he apparently passed a lie detector test with his claim that Love offered him $50,000 to kill her husband. Adding fuel to the conspiracy theory, El Duce was mysteriously killed, when struck by a train shortly after he spoke to Broomfield.
Things really get interesting when the financers of the project start to get scared by the pressure Love is able to bring on them through a combination of her lawyers, record company and MTV. We see Broomfield on the telephone as an apologetic voice informs him that he no longer has any backing. He carries on regardless, determined to see things through to the end.
The film's climax sees Broomfield finally catching up with Love, ironically she is guest of honour at a function to celebrate and promote freedom of speech. This proves too exciting for the cameraman, who appears to have a panic attack during these scenes.
Broomfield's minimalist style, just himself as interviewer and soundman plus a camera operator is refreshing, the viewer soon warms to his haphazard, yet dogged approach and cannot help but get wrapped up in the investigation.
Kurt and Courtney
is an entertaining road-movie, come, whodunit, which will prove enjoyable, even
to people with no interest in the music of Nirvana.
John Prendergast ©1998