Many horror and art fans alike were devastated to hear about H. R. Giger’s sudden death in 2014. Known for his biomechanical sculptures and paintings, the man is probably most known for his design of the iconic Xenomorph alien in the Alien franchise. And now, practically a year after his death, Belinda Sallin’s intimate documentary, Dark Star (filmed just two weeks prior to Giger’s death), receives a limited North American release.
The documentary begins with a crane shot of Giger’s house in Zurich, which slowly descends to show off the tangled trees at the front of the house. After the relative calm and peaceful establishing shots from around the hosue, the camera slowly advances into the house, showing off Giger’s art that has readily been integrated into the home decor. Accompanied by the ambient and mysterious score by Peter Scherer, those familiar with Giger’s art know what to expect. After several lingering shots of some of Giger’s sculptures, we’re finally introduced to the man himself, barefoot and plodding around his house/studio.
Rather than focusing in detail on a career that’s spanned decades, Dark Star treats viewers to more of a focused overview, beginning with his initial break with designer Hans Kunz. Obviously, Giger’s work on Alien takes centre stage, albeit through archival footage. If you’ve seen the Alien Quadrilogy documentary, you have an idea of Fox’s reaction to Giger’s work, and here it’s just re-confirmed. Luckily for Giger, he had his supporters, including Ridley Scott. Dark Star features a mix of archival footage with interviews from friends, coworkers and fans of his work. Notably, but predictably absent is any sort of input from Hollywood. Giger’s fallout with Fox is a good reason for that, but we still miss input from people such as Alejandro Jodorowsky, for whom Giger had designed props for Jodorowsky’s failed Dune project.
Part of the appeal of this documentary is the chance to see more of Giger’s work and his process. Many people who have worked with Giger in the past have noted the beauty in his art, which to be honest, is not for everyone. However, Sallin’s documentary features several people, ranging from other artists and even a psychologist praising Giger’s work and his contributions spanning across a variety of mediums. Notable is his wife, Carmen Maria Scheifele Giger, whose praise and protectiveness of Giger is cloying, but at the same time, not unlike someone’s mom who seems infinitely proud and boastful of her son’s accomplishments. As for Giger himself, he appears to take it all in humble fashion. He explains his reasons for doing what he does as a sort of catharsis for his visions of said art, and how putting them to canvas/sculpture “frees” him from the fear that these visions cause him. Tom G. Warrior (leader singer of Triptykon, and who is Giger’s assistant), echoes this process, but also refers back to Giger’s generosity with young artists. All of this humility is however amplified by Giger’s pale appearance. Shuffling around slowly, Giger appears frail with a downturned mouth, speaking in a gravelly croak that seems uncomfortable to him, and by proxy, the audience. It’s a definite far cry from his prime, and from his appearance in the Alien Quadrilogy documentaries.
Given the nature of Giger’s art, and his condition at the time, there’s a definite sadness to this documentary. Adding to this feeling is the topic of Giger’s girlfriend, Swiss actress Li Tobler, who committed suicide in 1975. Tobler’s brother Paul is interviewed about the subject, who tells of their strict Catholic upbringing that greatly contrasted with Giger’s, which caused great turmoil within Li. Not many kids would be given a human skull, then choose to walk around with said skull attached to a string in order to conquer their fear of death. Giger’s input on the subject, coupled with his health, casts another cloud on an already dark yet intimate retrospective. Thankfully, there are brighter moments, such as when Giger travels to the opening of one of his exhibits at the Lentos Art Museum in Austria, or at one of his book signings. It’s still amazing the amount of fans and adoration he receives in Europe is quite the stark contrast to the attention he received here in North America.
Ultimately, this documentary is more about an artist in the twilight of his life. There’s a shot of Giger in his backyard garden, with all of his sculptures mixed in with the various plants and trees, that coupled with what we’ve already seen, dips back into Dark Star‘s overall dour feeling. Seeing archival footage of him on a track that he had set up to tour his backyard garden, and the construction of the garden itself, is just another in a series of stark contrasts. Giger himself seems tired, stating his thoughts on death and it’s finality, stating that he’s “seen everything I wanted to see” and done “everything [that he] wanted to do or show”. Indeed, the last shot of the documentary is of Giger descending stairs, out of sight, which fades to black.
Obviously, this is not the final word on Giger the artist. The documentary doesn’t cover all of Giger’s career, nor does it explore his other contributions in more detail, such as other films, video games, music or even his Giger bars. We get glimpses, but they’re just that. We’re also not privvy to comments from his critics, even though we are given an idea as to what they think. Still, Sallin has definitely given fans of Giger something that they will enjoy, but at the same time, isn’t that overarching career retrospective that fans really want, and be more accessible. Well, as accessible as Giger’s art can be. Definitely an interesting look at an artist whose unique style went far beyond the big screen.