Nico Icon – Review

Nico Icon

with Nico Icon, Tina Aumont, Christian Päffgen
Written and directed by Susanne Ofteringer
by Reggie Kray

Sitting in a dark room with a few candles lit, listening to The Velvet Underground and Nico, it’s hard to really gain a sense of what would emerge from melodies such as “Femme Fatale” or “All Tomorrow’s Parties.” Who could have guessed that such a tenderloin voice would become a pop culture icon?

The German documentary film, Nico Icon, takes us into hotel rooms, Paris apartments, and the Warhol Factory of the ’60s. For those who never saw La Dolce Vita, it featured Nico, the face of the voguing ’60s. After coming to America, she climbed the underground celebrity ladder and bloomed into recognizable face status. Her artistic side came out when she bumped into Andy Warhol, who in turn, introduced her to a whole new world. Nico became addicted to this world, as well as heroin, and her newfound star status. This documentary features a series of interviews with those who walked that path with her, including ex-member of the Warhol Factory, Paul Morrisey, who also directed Nico in the notorious underground film Chelsea Girls. In dreamlike, fragmented pieces, we learn that Nico was the light that brightened the scene. We are invited into meetings between Lou Reed and Nico (who were introduced by Andy), and rare footage of Lou Reed composing his ode to the icon, “I’ll Be Your Mirror.” Although Nico was loved by many, there are others who think she was just a self-absorbed twit who screwed over everyone around her, if they weren’t busy screwing themselves.

Nico Icon does exactly what I hoped it would do for me – it paints a portrait of a figure, who, among other things, led an interesting and unique life. I was hit especially hard by the fact that she gave birth to a drug-addicted baby from French actor Alain DeLeon (The Smiths used a photo of DeLeon’s dead image from L’Insoumis on the cover of The Queen Is Dead). Even if you’re not a fan, you’ll still be intrigued by Nico Icon and this fascinating woman’s self-induced descent into addition, obscurity, and, ultimately, death.