(Image courtesy of The Criterion Collection. “Moonage Daydream is as mercurial and eclectic as Bowie himself.”)
Aaron Preziosi
Connector Editor
Most musicians are renowned for one or two iconic albums, sounds, or eras of their discography. Few though can capture captivating identities and sonic styles throughout their entire career. Such was the case for the legendary David Bowie, who was constantly reinventing himself throughout his entire career. From The Man Who Sold The World in 1970 to Blackstar in 2016, Bowie was always changing not just his sound, but himself.
The same can be said for the posthumous 2022 film “Moonage Daydream”, a documentary sanctioned by the Bowie estate featuring never-before-seen footage of concerts, studio performances, and more. It is quite different from many similar biopics not just because it is a compilation of Bowie’s body of work and stars Bowie himself, but also because of the way it is edited. Watchers may expect “Moonage Daydream” to be a reflective, analytical film breaking down every single thing Bowie did, why he acted the way he did, or what was happening in his private life, and in a way it does do these things, but it is much more similar to one of his own works than a biographical documentary. Director Brett Morgan opted to tell a story by linking together concert footage, candid interviews and more, all filtered through digital ghosting, ever-changing aspect ratios, and differing levels of film degradation; most importantly is that each clip seems to interact with another, completely different moment. Morgan manages to make Bowie establish a rapport not just with audience members, but past and future versions of himself. The deliberate choice to tell Bowie’s story this way creates a viewing experience that is as experimental and transient as he was.
However, due to the directorial choices made by Morgan, the film does feel quite disconnected at times, and although each moment featured in the film has been lovingly recontextualized, “Moonage Daydream” does tend to skip over the reality of the kind of person Bowie when he wasn’t onstage or in the studio. For example, the film does gloss over his frequent struggle with substance abuse, or his controversial pro-fascism persona “The Thin White Duke”, so viewers expecting a complete, thorough analysis of Bowie may leave disappointed. While it is ultimately their choice whether to embrace the responsibility or not, it is important when recounting the life and actions of an influential figure that authors acknowledge everything they have done, whether it is good or bad. That is something “Moonage Daydream” unfortunately does not quite meet the mark with.
Though, flaws and all, the film is quite captivating and worth watching. Just as Bowie was no one single identity, “Moonage Daydream” is no one single experience. It is a psychedelic, beautifully disjointed journey through the person he was in his career.
Grade: B
