Given unprecedented access to the full David Bowie archive by Bowie’s Estate, director Brett Morgen’s “Moonage Daydream” brings to life an immersive cinematic experience surrounding the mania of one of the most prolific musicians of all time. Catering to the film’s IMAX formatting, Morgen curates a Bowie experience that doesn’t attempt to explain the artist’s mind, but rather looks to capture and recreate the essence of his character through live performances, promotional art and select interviews.

“Moonage Daydream” follows up on the success of Morgen’s previous film documentary, “Cobain: Montage of Heck,” where he examines the psyche of and extreme pressures put on Nirvana’s frontman, Kurt Cobain, by making extensive use of his personal diaries and notes, as well as accounts from those close to him. Taking on the story of a figure as fantastic as Bowie is certainly no easy task, but Morgen’s previous experience tackling the story of Cobain more than proves his competence. His unconventional approach of commemorating Bowie’s extravagance as an artist — as opposed to investigating him via traditional documentary filmmaking methods, namely talking-heads style interviews and narration — is certainly refreshing. In a film centered around an artist as unparalleled as Bowie, it’s only natural that the filmmaking approach strays off the beaten path.

Unique to most contemporary documentaries, the film features images that pay due diligence to and stylistically match the vision of Bowie. Morgen brings to life rich colors and surreal artistic imagery that works brilliantly with the immersive sound engineering, elevating the deep catalog of Bowie’s discography. “Moonage Daydream” roars with illustrious visuals and sonically wraps itself around its audience, catering to all the senses. Morgen has created a film made to be seen in IMAX theaters, with audio designed to take viewers as close to the live Bowie experience as possible. Using this approach, Morgen effectively presents Bowie as a figure who maintains a verve for life and a refusal to be placed in any type of box throughout his career.

It isn’t until about the 90-minute mark, however, that we begin to dive deeper into the mind of Bowie. We are presented with an interview where we witness a more modest and toned-down version of Bowie outside of “Ziggy Stardust” or his typical stage persona. In this interview, he speaks on his insecurities and hesitancy with respect to the display of his artwork. This transitions into the theme throughout the remaining run time, as we see glimpses into Bowie’s personal life and developments in his relationship toward his status as an artist, as well as the type of work he chose to pursue.

One of the most distinct features of the film is clearly its editing, which displays an extravagant and ostentatious presentation of Bowie. Morgen opts for a stylized and flamboyant aesthetic that works to provide audiences with a mystifying experience. At times, however, the abrasive editing style sacrifices principles of breadth and depth in favor of recreating spectacle. There were moments where Morgen’s frenetic editing veered too far into maximalist territory, with rapid montages presenting images from popular films and photographs of artists who aren’t explicitly mentioned. These moments seem unneeded and counterintuitive, given the complete access to Bowie’s archive.

In moments where Bowie speaks on his innate desire to find inspiration among other forms of art and culture, there is no inherent need to display scenes or stills from classic films when they themselves are not referenced directly, and more importantly, are not the principal subject. Although the live performances are spectacular, and certainly necessary, in Morgen’s effort to command the cinematic experience, the storytelling element of the film could have benefitted from including more moments of Bowie’s presence and demeanor offstage. The film shines brightest when it simply allows Bowie to inhabit the screen uninterrupted and unconcerned.

While documentaries formatted for IMAX are few and far between, “Moonage Daydream” stands tall and certainly merits its spot in this exclusive club. By the time the credits roll, audiences may not come away with an in-depth understanding of Bowie as he was, but they will get closer to seeing the person he evolved to become toward the latter stages of his career, as he experienced personal growth and gained a healthier perspective on his work. 

Regardless of how you interpret the depth of the storytelling at hand, Morgen must be commended for his initiative to take strides and push the boundaries of documentary filmmaking as a medium. He has faithfully constructed and delivered a most ambitious and tantalizing theater experience, anchored by one of the most prolific artists of the last century.

Contact David Melean at [email protected].