Spoiler alert, dont read if you not seen new film about Bob Dylan, called A Complete Unknown, directed by James Mangold, I went to see earlier with a friend. It starred Timothée Chalamet in the leading role, really enjoyed it.
Well I happen to be a huge Dylan admirer, and know a lot about him, and as a result I noticed many many embelishments.The cry of “Judas” didn’t come from Newport but a gig in Manchester a year later; Johnny Cash wasn’t at Newport in 1965, he met him there the year before I think.
Edward Norton is really really good at capturing the saint like essence of Pete Seeger, but he is a remarkably fine actor, nevertheless am not entirely sure that Seeger and Dylan actually met Woody Guthrie at the same time as portayed in the film, and Dylans girlfriend at the time was called Suze Rotolo not Sylvie Russo, which I thought was a bit disrespectful, perhaps I'm taking things to seriously and literally, after all does it matter as was just a ictional dramatisation, and Dylan himself makes things up all the time, especially at the time the film was set.
Anyway Chalamet truly catches Dylans voice and persona quite well, and what was really magical is how the film managed to transcend time, starting with a 19 year old Dylan arrival in Greenwich village, New York in 1961, culminating in his controversial electric performance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965 .
This isn't your typical boring biopic,It's more like stepping into a time machine and landing smack in the middle of 1960s Greenwich Village. The vibe, the music, the fashion - it's all there and it feels so real.
Director James Mangold, known for his work on celebrated biopics such as 'Walk the Line,' about Johnny Cash skillfully guides the narrative alongside co-writer Jay Cocks, utilizing the framework of Elijah Wald's acclaimed book, 'Dylan Goes Electric!'
Wald's perspective offers depth, as it closely examines the cultural shift sparked by Dylan's electrifying performance, which famously divided audiences. Dylan’s transition from acoustic to electric music not only defined his career but also transformed the music industry.
The movie doesn't try to explain every little thing about Dylan, let's face it, can anyone really figure him out? And even though it focuses only on Bob Dylan's earlier career, the movie succeeds in showing how he shook up the folk scene and drove everyone around him crazy in the best way possible.
It also richly explored Dylans strained relationship with Joan Baez superbly played by Monica Barbarot. Theres also an entirely made up fictional duet performance with Joan Baez in which Dylan gets so frustrated by his partner that he throws a tantrum right in front of the audience, all but telling Baez to fuck off before storming off the stage mid-concert.
All in all a really good film, loved every minute of it, flowed really well thrilling and emotional at same time, beautifully shot, plus some wonderful acting and such great music. It also reminded me why I love Dylan, he's human after all who could be a bit of a fucking bastard and an arsehole, like all of us. At end of the day he's still one of the most important songwriters ever, so I for one can forgive him for his transgressions.
At times I thought that the movie struggled with its pacing at times and failed to convey some of Bob Dylan's motivations and self-reflection around certain major life events, but as a huge Dylan fan, I overlooked this and managed to not let this bother me, what it does, it does really well, and I came away wanting more. So many iconic moments portrayed and an understanding of every character's reaction to who Dylan was, what he was doing to the music scene at the time and what it was doing to him. I admit was close to tears ar times,
Though the film only focuses on Bob Dylan's earlier career, the movie succeeds in showing how he shook up the folk scene and drove everyone around him crazy in the best way possible.
Incidentally when Timothée Chalamet got the role of Bob Dylan, he knew that the only way to honor a man who never plays a song the same way twice was to perform all the music live, with his own voice, The talented actor is said to have spent five years preparing for the role (it's amusing to think of him jamming away on the futuristic sets of the two Dune epics), and he ultimately performs 40 Bob Dylan songs for the movie. Chalamet said (via Variety): "It was important for me to sing and play live. Because if I can actually do it, why should there be an element of artifice here? And I’m proud that we took that leap.".
Even if your not a Dylan fan I believe there's so much you could get from it. People spoke highly about the film as I left. Highly recommended, try and go see it at the cinema if you get the chance.I'm already looking forward to seeing it again. Walked home under a beautiful crescent moon adorned by a single star, a wonderful magical evening.
