Marwencol is an unusual documentary about a real-life character, Mark Hogencamp, a resident of Kingston, New York. Hogancamp used to be married and had a hobby as a talented illustrator (although the subject matter of his illustrations, often aggressive and sexually tinged, reflected an angry temperament, undoubtedly exacerbated by alcoholism). Everything changed in 2000 when Hogancamp was assaulted by five low-lifes at a Kingston bar and sustained significant brain damage. He was in a coma for nine days and hospitalized for 40 days, only gradually recovering physically from the attack. As a result of the attack, Hogancamp lost almost all his memories of his former life. At the same time, he completely lost his desire for alcohol and became a much more docile, sensitive person, in contrast to the angry alcoholic of his pre-attack days.
Unable to afford any therapy, Hogancamp created a miniature town called Marwencol inhabited by dolls dressed up as World War II action figures (Marwencol refers to himself and two important women in his life, Wendy and Colleen). One of the dolls is a stand-in for Hogancamp himself and some of the other dolls represent friends or acquaintances who have impacted his life. Hogancamp takes photos of the dolls using various props to create scenes from an occupied town in Belgium during World War II. Hogancamp still is angry about the bar beating but channels the anger by taking revenge on the Nazi action figures who represent the men who beat him back in 2000. Often, he utilizes some of the female dolls to take revenge on the Nazis, who end up as bloodied corpses on his miniature stage.
When a local photographer discovers Hogancamp's collection of photos, he puts him in contact with the publisher of Esopus Magazine, an art magazine, who ends up publishing Hogancamp's work. Later, an art gallery agrees to put on an exhibition of Hogancamp's photos and Hogancamp grapples with the idea of getting out of his shell and making the trip to Greenwich Village where he'll have to interact with real-life people.
I found the most interesting part of 'Marwencol' is when various people talk about Hogancamp including friends, co-workers and those who knew him before he sustained brain damage. These brief interviews serve to fill in the back story regarding Hogancamp's character. In addition, his rise to notice beyond his small circle of friends, is also quite fascinating and perhaps more of the public reaction to this newly found 'artiste', could have been included in the documentary.
Certainly Hogancamp's miniatures have helped him cope with his devastating brain injury and has been instrumental in his recovery. And it is quite clear, that he is a talented person, with an artistic eye. Nonetheless, two questions arise regarding Hogancamp's 'work': 1) Is it really art? and 2) In the long run, is his attachment to his fantasy world, a good thing? For me, Hogancamp's miniatures remind me of the 'kitschy' world of Andy Warhol. His obsession with his make believe town (reminiscent of any mediocre, "B" movie about World War II) should appeal more to comic book aficionados than connoisseurs of serious art. And how long should he immerse himself in this make believe world? Isn't it more healthy to interact with real people than maintain the illusion that he's an action hero in his war against the Third Reich? Yes crutches are good when you're first injured—but there comes a time, when one must throw away one's crutches to make further progress. The film does show that Hogancamp has some friends—but I would have preferred to see him interact with his friends a bit more than fall back into his ruminations regarding imaginary Panzer movements.
Is Hogancamp that disabled, that he is unable to form a relationship again with a woman? At this point he seems more eccentric than devastatingly handicapped. I'm not suggesting that he give up Marwencol, but wouldn't it be better if this was merely a hobby than an obsession? Hopefully Hogancamp can profit from his 'talents' in the future. It wouldn't hurt that at a certain point in the future, he engages a therapist or counselor who can help with social skills so he can make more friends and perhaps get involved with a woman (or a man for that matter).
Marwencol features unique subject matter and is worth viewing simply because it is different and highlights the struggle of one man coping with a devastating brain injury.
Unable to afford any therapy, Hogancamp created a miniature town called Marwencol inhabited by dolls dressed up as World War II action figures (Marwencol refers to himself and two important women in his life, Wendy and Colleen). One of the dolls is a stand-in for Hogancamp himself and some of the other dolls represent friends or acquaintances who have impacted his life. Hogancamp takes photos of the dolls using various props to create scenes from an occupied town in Belgium during World War II. Hogancamp still is angry about the bar beating but channels the anger by taking revenge on the Nazi action figures who represent the men who beat him back in 2000. Often, he utilizes some of the female dolls to take revenge on the Nazis, who end up as bloodied corpses on his miniature stage.
When a local photographer discovers Hogancamp's collection of photos, he puts him in contact with the publisher of Esopus Magazine, an art magazine, who ends up publishing Hogancamp's work. Later, an art gallery agrees to put on an exhibition of Hogancamp's photos and Hogancamp grapples with the idea of getting out of his shell and making the trip to Greenwich Village where he'll have to interact with real-life people.
I found the most interesting part of 'Marwencol' is when various people talk about Hogancamp including friends, co-workers and those who knew him before he sustained brain damage. These brief interviews serve to fill in the back story regarding Hogancamp's character. In addition, his rise to notice beyond his small circle of friends, is also quite fascinating and perhaps more of the public reaction to this newly found 'artiste', could have been included in the documentary.
Certainly Hogancamp's miniatures have helped him cope with his devastating brain injury and has been instrumental in his recovery. And it is quite clear, that he is a talented person, with an artistic eye. Nonetheless, two questions arise regarding Hogancamp's 'work': 1) Is it really art? and 2) In the long run, is his attachment to his fantasy world, a good thing? For me, Hogancamp's miniatures remind me of the 'kitschy' world of Andy Warhol. His obsession with his make believe town (reminiscent of any mediocre, "B" movie about World War II) should appeal more to comic book aficionados than connoisseurs of serious art. And how long should he immerse himself in this make believe world? Isn't it more healthy to interact with real people than maintain the illusion that he's an action hero in his war against the Third Reich? Yes crutches are good when you're first injured—but there comes a time, when one must throw away one's crutches to make further progress. The film does show that Hogancamp has some friends—but I would have preferred to see him interact with his friends a bit more than fall back into his ruminations regarding imaginary Panzer movements.
Is Hogancamp that disabled, that he is unable to form a relationship again with a woman? At this point he seems more eccentric than devastatingly handicapped. I'm not suggesting that he give up Marwencol, but wouldn't it be better if this was merely a hobby than an obsession? Hopefully Hogancamp can profit from his 'talents' in the future. It wouldn't hurt that at a certain point in the future, he engages a therapist or counselor who can help with social skills so he can make more friends and perhaps get involved with a woman (or a man for that matter).
Marwencol features unique subject matter and is worth viewing simply because it is different and highlights the struggle of one man coping with a devastating brain injury.