Review: Dick Johnson is Dead | The Cinecriture

Your father is dying. You don’t know how long you have or exactly how he will die, but you know it coming soon enough that the lifelong “what if” becomes a deafening “when.” So, what do you do? Most people would worry, spend as much time with their father as possible, and maybe go see a therapist to deal with some of the fear. Kirsten Johnson, however, decided to make a film. Dick Johnson is Dead is an imaginative reflection on death and family imbued with something I could only describe as joyful stress. The film chronicles a moment in time in which Johnson must confront the fact that her father is dying while simultaneously helping him confront that fact himself. To describe this film as fun seems kind of wrong but is completely accurate. The mixture of surreal constructions of possible deaths and very real moments of difficulty and love that not only characterize the two main actors’ daily lives but also the strain of film making come together to make a film that feels fresh, exciting and insightful.

As fun as this film is, it also does a great job of conveying the stress of watching your father die. The way in which the movie is constructed forces you to feel that stress. At any moment in the film you could see this sweet man who you have grown to care for more and more get hit by an air conditioner or bleed out on a street corner. Of course, you know in the back of your head that the scene is fabricated and, a couple moments later, that knowledge will be confirmed as you soon see crew members move into the frame to help Dick up. Nevertheless, as these scenes play out in amusing and imaginative ways, the film’s depth never wanes. In fact, it is the imagination, creativity, and delight that allows for both Kirsten and Dick (and, to be honest, the audience) to flesh out and express how they’re feeling.

In what’s probably my favorite scene, Dick sits in a haunted house-esque room dressed as a decapitated man holding his head for Halloween. Clearly unsure of where he is, Dick jiggles the doorknob to find it is locked. A silent film era title card reads “Kirsten, where are you?” as Dick finds another door were he can see his wife in the imagined heaven of scenes prior through the peephole. He opens the door but instead is confronted with what looks like a nursing home. He sits down on the couch of the creepy room, confused and defeated. Later in the film, Kirsten explains that this set is meant to express how she thinks her father must have felt at the time he believed he was lost when the family left him at a friend’s apartment on Halloween as he was tired. While Kirsten explains this, she expressed concern about whether she should put her father on the set, as he may become confused. However, when leaving the set, Kirsten and her father share a moment of understanding in acknowledging the fear that they may have to “leave him” in a home. This scene epitomizes the essence of this film. While we smile at the silly costume and whimsical set, we also worry— and that worry leads to understanding.

Definitely one to watch!

See you soon,

Sofia