Some years ago I criticized Michael Caplan’s documentary ode to Nelson Algren as the cinematic equivalent of a pop tart. Now that I’ve had another look at it I see that I was very wrong. As Algren’s friend during the last years of his life, I was motivated to defend him against what I thought he would have disapproved of — epic praise that comes too late and an overdrawn emphasis on his love affair with Simone de Beauvoir. Seeing the film again, I was touched by it. Caplan re-edited the version I saw, but I don’t think that’s what made the difference. Have a look for yourself. It’s available to stream via Kanopy — free of charge — if you have a library card from a participating library or university affiliation. You can also rent it for a small fee or purchase it on Vimeo and Prime Video.
Postscript: Looking back, I found this forgotten email from 2014 that Michael Caplan sent me:
I want to thank you for your substantial contribution to the film. Your interview in 2009 was incredibly detailed and enabled us to find a clear story, distinct from the Bettina Drew biography. It wasn't planned, but you are one of the few people whose interview is in the movie throughout the story. Also, your copy of Wolf's [Wondratschek] film was also critical . . .
