In the Realms of the Unreal (2004)

I love this movie so much

Strong and Moving!

Crappy film

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

I had no idea what this was when I clicked 'play' in Netflix. I'm extremely glad I watched it. Henry Dargers life follows the same narrative pattern as Joseph Cornell. Outsider artist Henry Darger originally disturbed me because his work involves such troubling topics. Best to steer clear I thought. Instead, this clever, compelling documentary was so excellent it forced me to reassess Darger. It is extremely inspiring to see what an arrested mind, mired/grounded in a seemingly unpromising but very specific & limiting milieu (1950s Catholicism in Chicago) could accomplish. The early moments showing the work itself, leaves you tantalized as to an explanation of his technique to overcome his lack of an artistic background; it soon follows. The interiority of Dargers effort and psychology is truly impressive. The toiling over a life's work for personal goals is humbling. My only problem with the documentary is that I found the first 45 minutes so exhilarating, that the rest of it couldn't compare and just seemed to linger there taking up space. But perhaps that just means there's more to get out of it, next time I watch it in a few months. The approval of hipsters is an irritating coda to the piece.What great luck that Darger's work (like that of the Philadelphia Wireman) was saved by those who stumbled across it. What a good omen to stumble across it on New Years Day.

I never even knew Henry Darger existed until, out of curiosity, I added this video to my Netflix instant streaming queue. I was captivated the entire time. What an amazing (and at times, heartbreaking) story about such a wonderfully strange and enigmatic individual. The mix of historical photos, Darger's own drawings and words, and interviews with people who actually knew him weave together to form a compelling story that serves to remind us that, no matter how far we may try to pull away from the world around us, we still leave our mark on this world and may very well affect the lives of those around us.I highly recommend this documentary to anyone who has an imagination. Simply... unreal.

In The Realms of the Unreal:The Mystery of Henry Darger - a well made documentary about one of the most notorious and interesting outside artists.Henry Darger was a recluse who lived near poverty for most of his life in Chicago.An orphan or ward of the state for most of his youth Darger was an outsider even in the worst state institutions.Nobody knew that while Darger was at home he created an imaginative and enthralling universe of characters and stories mixing collage with his self-taught techniques and his unique world view.A good mix of biography and a re-telling of his epic paintings using the pics and animating some of them.Creative and entrancing.The DVD has a 30 minute interview with the director Jessica Yu and utilizes the voice-over talents of Dakota Fanning and Larry Pine. A

The story of Henry Darger is one that could have been told on film using only his own words and images. Director Jessica Yu has instead decided to create her own work of "art" by animating Dargers' illustrations and adding special effects. When the viewer is given the chance to see the frightening, beautiful works of art they move and flow through their composition and design, without additional "direction". By the time this film was nearing its end I found myself listening to the audio only. Imagine your most tormented dreams and then think about a self important Vanity Fair editor adding their creative touch to them and I think you will know what I mean. It is sad that this is one of the few works documenting such a unique person.