In the Realms of the Unreal

The weird tale of Henry Darger, painter, recluse and author of the longest novel ever written, is presented in this documentary whose subject matter overcomes the clumsiness of its handling. Darger’s paintings of naked little girls with penises fighting evil child slavers have become a central topic of art criticism and items of extreme fetish value for collectors. His life as a recluse who worked on his expansive fable and illustrations is an object lesson in what one individual can accomplish when not distracted by fame, friends, family or any form of entertainment. Unfortunately, director Jessica Yu makes the grotesque decision to add computer animation to Darger’s paintings, muddying his vision and interfering with a clear presentation of his story. And it’s truly awful computer animation. Had the paintings simply been allowed to speak for themselves, this would have been a perfect documentary. As it is, only the inherent interest of Darger’s life saves this from Yu’s inexcusable self-indulgence.