The Daddy of Rock 'N' Roll
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The Daddy of Rock 'n' Roll is a documentary by Daniel Bitton following around the late musician Wesley Willis in his daily tasks, trials and tribulations in autumn 2000. It features footage of Willis, a 300-plus pound schizophrenic African-American musician, writing his unique yet virtually identical songs, playing a show, and attending to daily chores. It was released on video and DVD in 2003 and has a runtime of 58:48.
[edit] Footage
Shot in and around Wesley's native Chicago area, the documentary features no narrative, commentary, or overarching synopsis, instead simply choosing to present footage of Willis's daily life with plenty of his songs serving as the soundtrack. In presenting the footage in this fashion, it effectively refuses to comment positively or negatively on Willis yet does evoke sympathy and amusement for the viewer simply based on Wesley's exploits and extremely spontaneous demeanour.
Within the film Willis appears unkempt, is morbidly obese, and is mentally unstable. His arbitrarily profane outbursts provide unsettling moments of humour he is seemingly unaware of, and he is tragic in telling his life story yet generally affable despite his flaws.
His songwriting technique is shown as he visits a local Kinkos dressed sloppily and barefoot, and types expletives and repetitive bestiality references up on a computer as lyrics and prints the document. His songs, humorously to some, usually deal with violent confrontations with superheroes, praise for people Wesley knew or bands he had seen, or expletive-packed rants at his mental "demons". This is highlighted by scenes of him at a friend's studio, recording virtually identical songs which are cut together to highlight their similarities.
Several of Willis' friends are interviewed, and reminisce over how they met Wesley and how they feel about him. By and large they are all sympathetic of his plight and it is stated he would likely be deceased if he had not cultivated such a network.
Willis also visits a zoo - bemusingly overdubbed with one of his many songs about fellating various wild animals with unlikely food condiments - and plays a show to drunken, jeering fans.
[edit] Analysis and Revelations
Wesley Willis has frequently been ridiculed and mocked as Internet phenomena - his being responsible for such peer-to-peer program cult favourites as "I Whupped Batman's Ass" - has often been a figure to mock and insult, despite the rather unsettlingly miserable life experiences he endured. His music, being indeed uncannily bizarre and often hilarious, remains bemusing.
The film takes a matter-of-fact account of this, by showing his songwriting techniques and steadfastly refusing to offer any narrative or provocation short of the occasional question to Willis or his friends.
The film sheds some light on these works and Willis' problems; Willis battled daily with discouraging mental voices, and claims music helps him silence them. The film takes several song elements and plays them side-by-side, such as the title lines back-to-back from the respective songs "I Whipped Superman's Ass", "I Whipped Spiderman's Ass", and "I Whupped Batman's Ass", thus implying the director Bitton is very aware of and willing to showcase the humorous cult nature of the music (there generally being very little other impetus to initially listen to it).
Towards the end of the film several uncomfortable scenes take place; the drunken fraternity crowd at one of his haphazard live shows (Rock critic Will Robinson Sheff wrote that Willis’ "periodic appearances for crowds of jeering white fratboys evoke an uncomfortable combination of minstrel act and traveling freakshow"), his friend's description of Willis' poor upbringing (sadly involving forced viewing of his own mother having intercourse in exchange for drugs), and touchingly, Willis' own despair at his condition:
"I'm already doomed. I can't find a girlfriend, I can't do a goddamned thing."
The film refuses to outright comment on such depictions, but given the sympathy most humane viewers would find for Willis, it is provides a telling insight into one of the more freakshow musicians of recent years.
