‘Amy’: Asif Kapadia’s definitive Amy Winehouse documentary
Hollywood loves a good biopic. From Bohemian Rhapsody to Rocket Man to Elvis, the past few years have given us stories about some of music’s biggest stars, which have exploded on the big screen with more than enough spectacle. Grandiose live shows recreated with actors doing their best impression of a timeless icon intersect with more intimate moments – the cast and crew imagining what certain celebrated talents were actually like behind closed doors. Often, these films heavily rely on these icon’s trauma and hardship, and while some biopics have genuinely succeeded, such as Control (about Joy Divison’s Ian Curtis), many haven’t.
The latest disaster in the biopic world is Back to Black, a documentation of Amy Winehouse’s tragic fall from grace as she battled drug and alcohol addiction, toxic relationships, an eating disorder and intense media scrutiny, leading to her death at the age of 27. The movie has been criticised for failing to depict Winehouse as the truly unique, warm, charismatic and hilarious talent she was, instead focusing on her pain and underselling the way certain men in her life, like Blake Fielder-Civil, led to her destruction.
Many people have been questioning why such a film needed to be made. Do we need to see some of Winehouse’s lowest moments, such as when she was hounded by the paparazzi, recreated for entertainment and profit? Heavy media scrutiny led to Winehouse’s downward spiral – Back to Black just feels like another piece of media that will unfairly contribute to her misrepresentation in popular culture.
Instead, countless viewers have been urging fans to revisit – or watch for the first time – Asif Kapadia’s stunning documentary, Amy. Released in 2015, four years after her death, the film relies on archival footage of Winehouse to create a fully formed, unbiased picture of her life, from home videos to concert recordings, television interviews and media coverage. By talking to around 100 people who personally knew or worked with Winehouse, Kapadia – who also found acclaim for his documentary Senna in 2010 – ensured that his film was incredibly well-researched and informed.
It’s a moving piece of cinema which paints a fantastic portrait of a rare talent. Winehouse’s humour and love for her friends and family shine through, as does her intellect, intensely emotional nature, and incredible skill for writing and performing. Kapadia’s documentary is honest and captivating, and while he doesn’t shy away from highlighting moments where Winehouse was perhaps more difficult to be around, there is always an underlying level of empathy present.
As someone who emerged beneath the spotlight when she was barely an adult, Winehouse was subject to the intense pressures of fame from the get-go. Kapadia clearly understands the way that Winehouse, who suffered from many mental health issues, was affected by the demands to churn out another album – such a personal thing she couldn’t simply do in an instant – and appear as the ‘perfect’ female artist.
Winehouse was often outspoken (some might refer to her as ‘gobby’), and while these features might have attracted many fans who were delighted to see someone relatable and real in the media, these same traits also caused her to be heavily scrutinised. She didn’t play into any stereotypes of femininity – she wasn’t hypersexualised, nor was she quiet and subservient – much to many people’s shock.
She was messy, loud and unforgettable, and Kapadia’s film celebrates her multi-faceted nature. She paved the way, and Amy makes sure we never forget.
