Kanye’s demands for the final cut on Jeen-yuhs makes its Sundance premiere all the more fascinating.
The three-part Netflix documentary directed by Clarence “Coodie” Simmons and Chike Ozah is raw, rambling and riveting in equal measure. The press screener – labeled ‘Work In Progress’ – features previously unseen footage from 21 years of the performing artist’s life. It’s far from an exhaustive biography, but it offers an intriguing insight into hip hop, fame, race, grief, mental health and perhaps most of all, friendship.
In Act 1: “Vision”, Coodie’s voiceover veers between interesting and intrusive as he narrates the process of making the documentary through the prism of his relationship with Kanye.
“He knew it would take a lot for him to earn people’s respect as a rapper,” he says, as we watch the young producer touting his wares at record companies. Coodie and Ozah keep the camera rolling during late-night recording sessions, car journeys and parties, capturing a good number of monologues that demonstrate the young Kanye West’s self-belief – though these seem more self-aware in the early days.
“Doing this documentary right now, it’s a little narcissistic or whatever, but f**k it,” he says. Later, he declares, “I might be living your American Dream, but I’m nowhere near where my dream is.”
A visit to Kanye’s effervescent mother, Donda, causes Coodie to muse on her part in fostering this unwavering ambition. But like much of his narration, that didn’t really need to be said: her pride and influence radiate from the screen in both Act I and Act II: “Purpose”. When her tragic death is announced in Act III, Donda’s absence is felt deeply. But by now, Coodie is increasingly distant from his old pal, reduced to grabbing moments with him after a triumphant night at the Grammys rather than following his every move.
Entitled “Awakening”, Act III has an increasing reliance on news and TV footage, but it zips past most of the headlines to focus on the rare moments that Coodie reunites with Kanye, such as in the run up to his presidential campaign in 2020. There’s a disturbing scene where Kanye rants almost incoherently during a meeting, referring to bipolar medication. Coodie explains that he ended up turning the camera off as he felt uncomfortable filming this, making its inclusion rather ironic. But the filmmaker still comes across as sincere in his affection. “He always seemed to be in his best spirits when he was creating,” he says of his friend, and there’s love in his voice, albeit with a hint of wounded abandonment.
While we see Kanye with a long list of names, from Dame Dash to Takashi Murakami to Justin Bieber, there’s not a great deal of insight into his creative process; less still into his relationships with women. Ex wife Kim Kardashian is only mentioned briefly, as a factor in him canceling a tour, and we don’t see him with a girlfriend at any point. And while Coodie talks about the birth of his own child, Donda is the only mother really present in this film.
Fans are sure to take many different things from this documentary. There are funny moments, fascinating moments, weird moments, scrappy moments. I found myself oscillating between admiration, amusement and disdain, as well as frustration at what wasn’t being shown. But the most lasting feeling was pity. This portrays Kanye incompletely but sympathetically, suggesting that behind the bravado he’s a little lost and vulnerable – while never short of words.
The Netflix documentary debuts on the service on Feb. 16.
