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Timothée Chalamet electrifies as Bob Dylan in early-life biopic

Tara Kennedy
Tara Kennedy
Tara Kennedy is a student at Campion College Australia and an intern at The Catholic Weekly.
Screenshot from “A Complete Unknown.” Photo: Searchlight pictures.

Bob Dylan is a man many things can be said about: he is the only singer to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, he revolutionised music as a whole by invigorating and modernising the genre of folk, and he is an icon with some fans in very high places.

Now aged 83, Dylan once accepted an invitation from Pope John Paul II to perform at the Vatican in 1997 and prominent US Bishop Robert Barron has a deep affection for the musician.

Although Dylan’s spiritual journey has been much discussed over the years, the film only makes one fleeting reference to his faith. This film is much more about the music than it is about the man.

A Complete Unknown is based on a book called Dylan Goes Electric by Elijah Wald and covers only the years 1961-1965, detailing the musician’s rise to fame in the folk scene before turning mainstream and incorporating electric guitars into his sound–a highly contentious move.

The audience is introduced to a scrappy, broke, 20-year-old Bob Dylan (played by a mesmerising Timothée Chalamet) who wants to meet and play for his musical idol, Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy) who is sick in hospital.

Thus, fans of Dylan may be turned off A Complete Unknown right off the bat because this opening scene is fictional. However, it’s not unlike most biopics, which often contain inaccuracies and mis-characterisations.

Those familiar with Dylan’s canon and life story may rankle at the changes made, for example, Pete Seeger (Edward Norton) goes from being one of Dylan’s earliest friends and supporters to a man who tries to shut him down when he’s just about to reach his peak.

Dylan is shown to be a musical genius who at times shows concern about his friends, but it’s not all positive—Dylan’s relationships with the women in his life are trouble. He quickly falls for Sylvie Russo (a fictionalised Suze Rotolo, played by Elle Fanning) but cheats on her with singer Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro), whom he also treats badly.

The movie hinges on the performance of Chalamet and he does not disappoint, disappearing into Bob Dylan as though he was born to play the role.

Chalamet nails this performance, wonderfully replicating Dylan’s unique voice and musical prowess, mannerisms and most importantly, his look.

Sometimes he tries a little too hard to be Dylan, and it can be seen in the strain he puts on his jaw to reach the singer’s distinctive sound, but the effort is not in vain.

As the film progresses, a change occurs in Dylan’s style—and Chalamet mimics it perfectly, looking and sounding so much like the icon it’s possible to forget this is only a recreation.

Chalamet is not the only shining light in this film as Edward Norton, Monica Barbaro, and Elle Fanning each add depth and emotion to the film, and use their real voices to sing, recreating iconic songs such as a rousing rendition of “The Times They Are A-Changing.”

The music in the film does not disappoint, it’s Dylan at his earliest, building up to his best, electrifying before turning electric and culminating in the disastrous turned legendary performance in Newport in 1965.

Most of the music in this is playback–and some mouth movements do not match the audio–and some is performed live, with the mix of the two benefitting the film. The scenes where it is clearly live singing add atmosphere, warmth and a feeling of authenticity throughout the film.

The musical scope expands as it progresses, moving from acoustic sets to more elaborate compositions with bands, electric guitars, and even an appearance from Johnny Cash (Boyd Holbrook).

At the end of the picture, Bob Dylan is almost the icon we know him to be as he’s on the cusp of releasing one of the most acclaimed albums of all time, Highway 61 Revisited, which also earns him immediate backlash.

In the final scene, after visiting Guthrie one last time, Dylan is shown riding off into the sunset with a confidence that foretells his impending ascent of mere human status into the stuff of legend.

A Complete Unknown is rated M and is in cinemas now.

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