If this trailer doesn’t open, click on the one that says”A Complete Unknown..” or “Clip”
An early album with his then girlfriend on the cover.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor, Blogfinger.net. 12/26/24.
12/26/24 If you are a Bob Dylan fan, you will be thrilled to hear about this new film “A Complete Unknown.” I haven’t seen it yet, so this is not a review. But you should know that this dramatization of Dylan’s story portrays the most important period of his life, when most of his most famous songs were written and performed; songs such as “Blowing in the Wind.”
A wonderful cast presents this history of when he first appeared on the scene starting in the 1960’s and then portrayed over the next two decades. Dylan is played by Timotheé Chalamet, Monica Barbara is Joan Baez, and Elle Fanning plays his first love Suze Rotolo. The director is James Mangold.
Joan Baez and Bob Dylan. Internet photo.
Dylan’s music and lyrics came together as one. It revolutionized the music scene. Critics found it difficult to analyze the origins of his genius , and even he couldn’t explain it. But he won the Nobel Prize for literature because of his other-worldly lyrics—shear poetry.
The film portrays his relationship with Joan Baez. We will learn about his changeover to electric in 1965 which shocked his followers. He was influenced earlier by musicians who played acoustic guitar such as Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Little Richard, Jerry Lee lewis, Elvis and Buddy Holly. But he wasn’t irreversibly wedded to folk, country, and protest music, and he had a longstanding love of rock. He influenced many famous musicians of that era.
Hopefully, once the theatric run is over, we should be able to see this film by streaming. Critics have been able to write reviews now because they were allowed to see the film before its release on Christmas Day.
An early review called the film “..breathtaking cinema at the highest level.” But I can’t promise an early streaming release, because I am still waiting for the new “West Side Story.”
We have often been disappointed by film biographies of famous musicians that focused more on salacious biographical information than on the music of artists such as Ray Charles and Johnny Cash.
But we are told that this Dylan film is overflowing with music, and that is what I am looking forward to including insights into his magical insightful compositions.
Early reviews offer nothing but raves.
BOB DYLAN: “Like a Rolling Stone”