Bukowski – Born Into This | DVD Review

This is easily one of the most surprising documentaries out there. Surprising because of how affecting it is considering my knowledge of Bukowski was non-existent. In fact, this film is as good as the trailer, which if you check out is enough to make you want to see the film.

This documentary makes you feel like you knew the man and his life, and you know that any single day in his life was probably more interesting then your own (or maybe not if you’re insanely interesting). A possible reason that the film turned as good as it did is the same reason it lacks in aesthetic; this was John Dullaghan’s first and only film. He made it in wanting to himself learn about the life of Bukowski. In quenching his own thirst for knowledge on discovering where Bukowski came from, and where he’d been, he manages to be perhaps the best, albeit most unlikely, guide. Bukowski was not a role model and yet he is a complete inspiration. His talent is undeniable and his story is complex, alive, yet heart-warming. A truly bizarre mix of emotions.

This film features many interviews from friends and famous faces who knew the man such as Sean Penn, Tom Waits, and Bono. The greatest treat is any bit of salvaged footage featuring Bukowski himself. You see him in good and bad moments, but you’ll have to check it out for yourself to see what that’s all about. One thing is for sure, he was genuinely charismatic; beneath such a hard exterior seems to lie the gentlest of souls leading one to ask if “The Thing” was based on this poet. Hmmm… All aside, it’s an easy watch and one you’ll be happy you checked out. Enjoy.


This is why we have DVDs. Packed with features such as a wonderful deleted scene (deleted scenes from documentaries are often worth watching, and this one is no exception), a “making of” that makes you feel like you to can make a documentary (but that’s not necessarily true, so…), and so much more. You also get some of Bukowski unpublished works and Bono and Tom Waits showing you how to read Bukowski’s work. In all this is as perfect a dvd package as I can imagine and found myself completely satisfied. If you didn’t know who he was, you most likely be looking him up after seeing this.

If you love or like Bukowski, you should see this. If you never heard of the man, you should see this. This is a truly absorbing document of a fascinating man; the reason we have documentaries.

Movie rating – 4

Disc Rating – 4.5