MIFF: From Darkness to Light

Ange Tcaciuc reviews "From Darkness to Light," an engrossing documentary about failed filmmaker Jerry Lewis.

Throughout cinema history, there have been a handful of films that became legends without ever being fully seen. Jerry Lewis’s The Day the Clown Cried (1972) has been whispered and speculated about for over 50 years, but not for its big success. Since its production days, only fragments of the controversial narrative emerged: an unfinished Holocaust “comedy” drama about an imprisoned circus clown at a Nazi Concentration camp who entertains Jewish children in hopes of distracting them from the horrors ahead. 

A 2024 documentary, From Darkness to Light, written and directed by Eric Friedler and Michael Lurie, reveals how and why the full film was never completed and why it crushed Lewis’s career. 

As I walked into this, I wasn’t prepared for how tangled this story was in ego, over ambition and creative collapse. There are so many voices in this documentary, including Lewis himself and actors from his films, that the plot began to bog down. It’s obvious from the get-go that something went very wrong or awry in the filmmaking process of Lewis’ Holocaust comedy; however, you’re left waiting, while being drowned in voices on Lewis’ downfall.

Jerry Lewis maybe left his own mark on From Darkness to Light (Image: MIFF)

This could stem from the documentary’s delayed release until 2024, a condition of Lewis’ involvement in the documentary, but ultimately, Friedler includes so many strong voices that you’re left tired and waiting for the climax. In a way, From Darkness to Light is a bohemian tragedy, much like its source material.

Friedler tries to balance the chaotic career and life of Jerry Lewis with the norms of documentary filmmaking, but this juggling act may have been doomed to fail. When you do see scenes of Lewis’s failed film, you’re transported right into the middle of the drama, and Friedler did a great job keeping the documentary engaging in that way. The few rolls of film that Lewis produced are enchanting, weird and mesmerising to see after witnessing from those around him how obsessed Lewis became, especially after watching Life is Beautiful win an Oscar with a similar plot. In a way, actually watching scenes of Lewis’ The Day the Clown Cried is almost a reprieve from the cacophony of voices in From Darkness To Light. 

The same can be said of Friedler including scenes of Life is Beautiful in From Darkness to Light, which gives that strong contrast in Lewis’s obsession and downfall and also provides some reprieve to an otherwise slow-paced plot. Unfortunately, there isn’t a conclusion to Lewis’s story; We learn why he’s so egotistical and abusive to those around him, but even until his last days, he can’t let go of his drowned career. Had Friedler engaged with Lewis in a more personal and emotional way, however that might’ve happened, perhaps some resolution could’ve been found.

Stills and scenes from The Day the Clown Cried, starring Jerry Lewis, helped to move along the documentary. (Image: MashMedia)

From Darkness to Light is a compelling piece of journalistic storytelling, but as a documentary, it lacks the landing that an audience might desire. To any filmmaker or cinephile, The Day the Clown Cried is a myth, made legendary in its toxic and caustic scars it has left on those involved in its production. Unfortunately, after viewing From Darkness to Light, I can’t say that the avalanche of secrets and commentary on Lewis’s life has lent any light to the dark production that doomed Lewis’s career. I left wanting more or maybe having too much; in a sense, it was missing something.

And maybe that something was a harder look at Lewis’ dangerous attitudes toward his co-stars and producers. Lewis was swimming in a sea of sexual-assault allegations and sexist remarks, which From Darkness to Light largely left untouched. I can’t help but shake the feeling that Lewis, again, had too much control over this project. Had Friedler steered From Darkness to Light truer, maybe I’d have left feeling more fulfilled.

An important part of documentary filmmaking is giving voice to those without the means to project it, and unfortunately, From Darkness to Light, while making great entertainment with its explosive and dramatic chorus of egotistical voices, leaves those most affected by Jerry Lewis without justice. The only voice we hear of Lewis’s dangerous behaviours was that of a French actor, of whom I can’t remember, and that’s a problem. I want to see Lewis being held accountable for the tragedy that was The Day the Clown Cried. 

The voices of those affected by Jerry Lewis were sorely missed in From Darkness to Light. (Image: MIFF)

However, hope is not lost. 

The craftsmanship of the film was well executed as it visually complements those interviewed through a detailed mise-en-scene paired with its daunting scores, leaving you on the edge of your seat. The edit encapsulates the madness of the source material and gives a glimpse into the stress of the 1970s production that, unfortunately, I do not want to relive. There are great shots, intimidating lighting and well-crafted scenes in From Darkness to Light. Had Friedler stuck the landing, maybe this would be easier to score.

3.2/5