DVD review: William S Burroughs: A Man Within [M15+]

Dir: Yony Leyser
Starring: William S. Burroughs (Archive footage), Peter Weller (narrator)

The Film
If you are looking to discover who William S. Burroughs was, and an in-sight into the man, well A Man Within is a good place to start.

To be honest I knew next to nothing about Burroughs the man, aside from the basics. I am a big fan of David Cronenberg (I’d place him on my Top 5 Director’s of All Time List), and Naked Lunch is one of the strangest films he has done. The film is an adaptation of the book written by Burroughs, which is also semi-autobiographical. I have attempted to read it, but no matter what mood I struggled. I have placed it aside for a time when I feel I can tackle it. From what I have now learnt about Burroughs the man, he seems to be the same way. I try and tackle him but the mood is never right.

Sitting down to watch this film, I had no idea what would be in-store for me. Who was this man? How did he affect those around him? What was his legacy? Honestly, I don’t have any straight answers to those questions, but I have some kind of idea.

Peter Weller, who starred in Naked Lunch basically playing the role of Burroughs, narrates the film. We get taken through different times in Burrough’s life, hearing stories from those who knew him and seeing personal footage of the man. There is no clear picture here, and honestly there shouldn’t be. Burroughs wasn’t a clear person, he was many different things and so is this film. It kind of reflects who he was in that way, and it will be either something you find interesting or find hard to watch.

Unfortunately for me this was hard to watch, not really anything done by the director himself. But a lot of the people interviewed here are just difficult to sit and listen to. While I enjoyed hearing in-sights from Weller, John Waters and Patti Smith there were others that really didn’t offer much and hearing them felt like nails on a chalkboard.

At the same time the footage and home movies were interesting to see of Burroughs, and to see him in different environments. I am glad they included subtitles for Burroughs because when he talks it is so difficult to understand, it sounds like mumbles yet his words are worth hearing. It is hit and miss because of this, and I honestly don’t think that I personally would have been able to sit in the same room as the man. He is an enigma really, hard to dissect and this film is a pretty decent attempt. It is well made, and again it will have a different level of appeal to each person. Maybe I would have preferred something more straightforward, but Burroughs wasn’t and it suits him. His influences can be felt throughout different mediums over his lifetime, the film does a great job of showing that and it was quite something to experience.

Controversy is sewed through the film, because he had a controversial life. He was a junkie, he shot his wife, he lived a lifestyle that at the time was very hidden, and he was someone like no other. This film is like no other, it is as strange as he is, and a solid effort. Perhaps in a different mood, my experience of this film would have differed. I have to admire that, and this way of filmmaking.

The Australian DVD
Audio/Video: The video is a 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen presentation. Picture quality is exceptional, the older footage is actually rather clear and a good job was done to make sure of that. Audio is presented with Dolby Digital 5.1, it is quite a clear audio, but the speakers need to be turned up a little.

Extras: The DVD release comes with additional extras:
* Deleted scenes featuring Burroughs’ shotgun art – Not bad but I can see why they were left out.
* Burroughs’ home movies with Patti Smith, Steve Buscemi, Allen Ginsberg, Sonic Youth and others – An interesting look at Burroughs and these personalities, the Sonic Youth film is especially great.
* Readings by Burroughs and Patti Smith – It is something to actually see Burroughs do this, and understanding his words is quite a battle.
* Naked Lunch 50th anniversary celebration – A very interesting look at a such a controversial piece of literature.
* Q&A with director Yony Leyser at BFI London Film Festival 2010 – The must see extra on the DVD, very compelling to hear the director talk about this film.
* Bill and Anna: a short film by Yony Leyser – Not a bad short film, Yony Leyser is definitely a guy to watch.
* Theatrical trailer

Rating