Dark Star: HR Gigers Welt

Well, as I sat down in 2021 to watch the 2014 documentary / biography about HR Giger for the first time, I must admit that I was expecting a bit more than what this documentary actually managed to deliver.

Now, it should be said that the words documentary and biography should be taken very lightly when you sit down to watch the 2014 "Dark Star: HR Gigers Welt".

It felt more of a reality TV episode of some kind where you follow a famous person around for a day, than it did as an enlightening and informational documentary.

This 2014 documentary offers some insight into the early life of the artist and a bit into whom he was, but it was hardly a fulfilling documentary for me, and I must admit that I was not particularly thrilled or entertained by what was being shown and told.

While I definitely enjoyed the artwork of HR Giger, then this documentary hardly does the man much of any justice. Especially not if you are interested in knowing more about his work, the man himself, and such. But hey, if you want to follow a former artist around for a day or two, then this is the stuff for you.

I am rating "Dark Star: HR Gigers Welt" a three out of ten stars, as the documentary failed to deliver something wholesome for me.

He feels at home in places we would flee from and lives his life among the very things we fear. Throughout his life, H. R. Giger had inhabited the world of the uncanny, a dark universe on the brink of many an abyss.

Most of us know Giger from "Alien" if we know him at all. His work is very recognizable and has been emulated by many artists over the last thirty years or so. But we may not know much about him beyond his aliens. What of his personal life or other work? This film digs into that and we see just what sort of person he is (or was). People may even be surprised to find that Giger was European. This was no secret, but perhaps not common knowledge. We also learn how he got his start, really relying on posters to get his work in font of audiences. Not your typical method.

IMO - "Dark Star" was a pretty bleak and grim look at artist, H.R. Giger's life who (at the time of this production) was clearly approaching his death with both his physical and mental health deteriorating at a rapid pace.

When "Dark Star" wasn't focusing in on Giger's overall declining state of health, it, at least, did invite the viewer to take a brief glimpse at some examples of his more notable artistic accomplishments.

A great documentary that premiered a few months after HR Giger died. Unfortunately, it started shooting when HR Giger's health was already clearly deteriorating. The personal one on one interviews with him are quite short, many interviews in the documentary are with his personal and professional entourage.

The storytelling is not very linear, some old footage from Giger's youth and from his various movie/Hollywood assignments are mixed in. You will see more interview clips with Giger himself in these segments.

As an introduction and indicator if this movie is interesting to you, watch the short movie 'HR GIGER HOME MADE' (available for free on YouTube), which uses the same setting in Giger's house and garden in Zurich, Switzerland.

I would recommend this movie to all (surreal) art lovers, especially those who might have prejudices and only know his body of work (Giger also was quite often reduced to his work on the Alien creature, which doesn't do him justice at all) but not the real and unique person/artist behind it.

PS: In case of further interest in the artist and his body of work. The official HR Giger Museum (in the picturesque Gruyeres region in Switzerland, Giger's home country) showcases the largest collection of the artist's work from the 1960s until the present day. The top floor of the museum houses Giger's own art collection.

'DARK STAR: H.R. GIGER'S WORLD': Two and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

A documentary film exploring the life, and work, of the popular Swiss painter, sculptor and set designer (known as) H.R. Giger. The film focuses on Giger, at the age of 74, when his health was severely deteriorating. It was written and directed by Belinda Sallin, in her feature film debut, and it contains multiple interviews with Giger, as well as his friends and work associates. I found the movie to be extremely slow-paced, even boring (at times), but still, definitely, visually pleasing (like the majority of Giger's work).

The movie takes place in the last days of Giger's life, shortly before he died (on May 12, 2014). The filmmaker interviews Giger, and follows him around, watching him slowly do day-to-day things. Sallin also interviews Giger's wife, and multiple co-workers, and friends of his, as well. A lot of the visuals are filled with Giger's beautiful art.

The film, like I said, is really slow paced, to a somewhat painful extent; I found my thoughts drifting (a lot)! It is interesting, getting to know Giger, if only just a little, in his final days of life. It's also cool to see that he was a 'cat person', like me! I can never really get tired of looking at his fascinating art, too; but I wish there would have been more time spent on 'ALIEN', or 'SPECIES'. Although I was bored, I'm sure obsessive fans of his will be more than pleased.

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