To revive the Tasmanian devil that was Mailer at this historical moment, when much of the culture has correctly chosen to downgrade a writer who would engage in such violence... demands two things: first, that we not turn away from the worst of him, that we run toward even his most deplorable acts and views; and second, that an active case be made that there is still something to gain from understanding how he lived his life and made his art.
A new documentary about Mailer, directed by Jeff Zimbalist, achieves both of these aims. The title itself captures the balancing act Zimbalist is attempting: How to Come Alive With Norman Mailer (A Cautionary Tale). What caution does a tour of Mailer's explosive existence suggest?
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