What Happened to Amy Winehouse? : Amy Reflection

Asif Kapadia’s riveting and emotional documentary feature on Amy Winehouse titled simply, Amy, tells the tragic story of an incredibly talented artist’s brief and tortured life. Much of the film begins with old home movies that Amy had taken with her friends as a young girl of thirteen. There was clearly already a rebellious aspect to her, even then, and she admits in an interview we hear later on that this was a direct result of her parent’s divorce. Personally, I can really relate to this. When my parents divorced when I was nine years old it felt like the veneer of innocence and a loving, safe space to call home was wiped away, and suddenly I was confronted with the reality of a broken home, and parents that despised each other. I began to rebel as well; dressing provocatively, sneaking cigarettes in the woods, hiding beer bottles under my bed, buying thongs… I was nine years old. And although this is less uncommon in Germany where I was growing up, it was still strange, especially since my older sister hadn’t yet become interested in any of these things yet.

The archival footage and personal testimonies of both Amy and those closest to her, reveal a side of her that I was completely unaware of while she was alive, even as an avid fan of hers. I had no idea how passionate she was about jazz music, knew nothing of her struggles with bulimia, or of her Jewish heritage. Also, the fact she remained humble and close to her childhood friends until the end is testimony to the kind of person she was; genuine.

A genuine person, and a genuine artist, her lyrics were always a reflection of the life she was leading. She was frank and brutally honest about her struggles with addiction, not only to drugs but also to love. While it was evident that Amy had battled these demons for the majority of her life, it became evident throughout the documentary that the immense pressures of fame and life in the limelight only escalated the situation. One of her friends, in a statement, realized that the time to have taken real action was before she become world famous, not hounded by paparazzi 24/7 and under the harsh, perpetual scrutiny of the media. It’s incredible to me that we, as a Western civilization, thrive so much on the miseries and struggles of others. Why do we criticize or make fun of people for their diseases? Why do we take pleasure in watching them fail and then cry when they die tragically? There is a real façade that the media is constantly producing of itself, and the people it finds worth mediating. A double-sided coin that can provide someone like Amy with amazing opportunities like getting to sing a duet with her idol, Tony Bennett, or to publicize images of her that portray her in the most unflattering ways…