The other night—and again the next afternoon—I watched A Complete Unknown, the new Bob Dylan bio-pic that depicts his rise from his arrival in New York City to his 1965 appearance at the Newport Folk Festival, in which his adoption of folk rock truly did electrify American popular music. For people like me, who first discovered Dylan in the Sixties with the release of The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, A Complete Unknown was a delight, especially knowing that Dylan himself was involved in the production. Timothy Chalamet plays Dylan and sings his songs throughout the movie. I am confident that, since Dylan was personally involved, Chalamet also accurately reflects some of Dylan’s personal quirks as he delivers his lines.
One of the most interesting characters, it turns out, is fictional—sort of. Dylan’s girlfriend in the film is named Sylvie Russo, played by Elle Fanning. As Elle noted, “Sylvie is intended to represent the real-life woman who inspired much of Dylan’s early work, and who appeared clutching his arm on the famous cover photo for The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan: the artist and activist Suze Rotolo.” Dylan did not feel it appropriate to use her real name, as she was not a professional colleague, like Joan Baez, but a purely personal friend and lover who stayed out of the limelight and who died a few years ago. That said, their relationship is an important part of the film.
Beyond that, there are many very interesting moments in the film that give us viewers insights into the music scene at a time when we were on the verge of a cultural revolution. For my generation, it is a great look back to our roots.
I heartily recommend A Complete Unknown.
