“Sick parents raise sick children,” states Renee LeBlanc near the end of her son’s groundbreaking documentary, “Tarnation.” A controversial statement this may be; however, it’s undeniably true in regard to Renee’s troubled life. Director Jonathan Caouette’s film tells such a horrifying tale, one might think it is pure fiction — if not for the plethora of evidence presented via home video footage shot by Caouette years earlier. “Tarnation” is perhaps the most terrifying film released last year.
Caouette’s sordid tale is an American tragedy of epic proportions. The film opens in 2003, as he learns of his mother’s overdose on lithium. But this is just the most recent in a laundry list of misfortunes experienced by his mom and himself. Caouette then backtracks to the beginning of their story, narrated with on-screen titles. As a child in a small Texas town, Renee was injured in a fall and temporarily paralyzed. Her parents, thinking Renee was psychologically damaged, had doctors administer heavy shock treatment and medication for years. This, as well as the supposed abuse and molestation at the hands of her parents, initiated the domino effect that would lead to endless troubles down the road. Later, Renee would be raped in front of a four-year-old Jonathan and hospitalized for mental problems.
The story then shifts to Jonathan’s traumatic childhood. It is one of abuse and neglect at the hands of his foster parents and grandparents (Renee’s parents), leading to suicidal thoughts and staged suicide attempts. His escape comes in the form of underground film and music and in homosexuality. Jonathan’s passion for film develops early. He is already taping video journal entries, character monologues, and short films before he is a teenager. His involvement in the gay community gives him feelings of acceptance and affection.
It is not until Jonathan, in his twenties, removes himself from his hometown and relocates to New York City on his own that he begins to find some peace of mind. But his mom’s escalating mental instability and schizophrenia continue to eat away at him.
“Tarnation” was made for an estimated $218 and was edited on Caouette’s own iMac with iMovie software; thus, the film is limited from a technical standpoint. Nevertheless, Caouette utilizes this technology and turns out a remarkably professional product. The film makes use of rapid cutting and hallucinogenic imagery to reflect Renee’s mental instability and Jonathan’s mental fragility. In fact, in some ways “Tarnation” is an experimental film. The director occasionally employs a multitude of photographic techniques and audio recordings to create a digression into non-narrative form. In this way, the filmmaker demonstrates the obvious influence underground films had on him as a teen. Sound is as important an aspect as any in the film. The film’s soundtrack, including indie rock from artists such as Low and Iron & Wine, and the original score, composed by Max Avery Lichtenstein, establishes the dark, haunting tone of the film. But the most impressive and engaging element of “Tarnation” has nothing to do with Caouette’s editing.
“Tarnation” owes its visceral impact to the home video footage filmed by Caouette, who must have hundreds of hours of recordings spanning all years of his childhood and adolescence. The footage speaks for itself and is the means by which we enter the mind of Jonathan. One particularly memorable sequence is that of Jonathan, age 11, delivering a monologue to the camera. Interestingly, he poses as a battered housewife suffering a breakdown. It is a heartbreaking scene because it is Jonathan who is suffering, projecting his inner turmoil through this fictional character.
Caouette does let the footage play too long at times and some of the later footage seems staged, but this is ultimately insignificant. By the end of the film, Caouette has cast his mental and emotional anguish onto the viewer. One wonders what findings a psychology professor might come away with after watching “Tarnation.” Regardless, Caouette’s film is a stirring, emotionally draining film experience, made all the more impressive by its technical constraints. Grade: A
