Kanye West Doc ‘In Whose Name?’: Charlie Kirk Cameo, ‘SNL’ Debacle, Kim Kardashian’s Suffering and More Revelations

Kanye West, the polarizing musician who also goes by Ye, has built a career as much on his artistic genius as on his incendiary public statements. His journey from cultural icon to pariah is deeply entangled with a series of scandals, including accusations of antisemitism, misogyny, and anti-LGBTQ sentiments, amplified by his vocal endorsement of the MAGA movement and his exploration of Christianity. A new observational documentary, "In Whose Name?", directed by his frequent collaborator Nico Ballesteros, attempts to shed light on West's mindset by offering an unvarnished look into his chaotic life, charting one of the most dramatic collapses in modern entertainment.

The film's narrative is anchored by West's deliberate choice to stop taking medication for his publicly acknowledged bipolar disorder, a decision he characterizes as a pursuit of personal liberty. This central motif is introduced in a tender early scene featuring his daughter, North. Ballesteros forgoes conventional documentary techniques like expert interviews, opting instead for a cinéma vérité approach that presents the footage as an ambiguous Rorschach test. This stylistic choice, as the director has explained, aims to let viewers form their own interpretations from the raw, often turbulent events depicted. Consequently, West's well-known mental health challenges appear less erratic and more like a driving force, especially as his fixation on corporate entities like Adidas and major record labels becomes a constant theme. Mental health experts often note that such unmanaged conditions can profoundly impact personal and professional relationships, adding a layer of tragic inevitability to the unfolding drama.

Contrary to the narrative of Kim Kardashian as a manipulative force, the film depicts her as a beleaguered and empathetic figure. Kardashian, whose family's reality empire "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" fundamentally reshaped modern fame, is shown in vulnerable states, often weeping over the drastic changes in her then-husband's demeanor. During a 2018 trip to Uganda, she tells him his personality shifts have become a daily occurrence. The film also incorporates her family, including a scene where her mother, Kris Jenner, expresses guilt over a mental health crisis that resulted in West's hospitalization. This intimate turmoil is juxtaposed with archival footage of West's earlier peak, rubbing shoulders with figures like Beyoncé and Anna Wintour, a stark contrast to his later associations with conservative commentators.

In these later-stage strategy meetings, the documentary shows West outlining his ambition to serve as an example of a successful, albeit "imperfect," Black celebrity. His allies, Candace Owens and Charlie Kirk, engage with his ideas, with Owens notably praising his MAGA hat as a culture-shifting act and stating that controlling culture is a precursor to controlling politics. This pivot in alliances, set against the backdrop of intense personal conflict, forces the audience to grapple with difficult questions about accountability, the exploitation of mental health struggles, and the extreme costs of celebrity. By presenting these events without explicit moralizing, "In Whose Name?" ultimately leaves it to the viewer to decide what defense, if any, such a complex and controversial figure warrants.