“A Complete Unknown” highlights the importance of Bob Dylan’s songs over 60 years since they were released. It is the whole Dylan experience, no matter how polarizing he is.
Portraying the life of Dylan from 1961 to 1965, “A Complete Unknown” provides insights into his thought process and complex character. The film’s plot loosely follows Dylan’s musical journey, from performing in a hospital for his hero, Woody Guthrie, to his 1965 Newport Folk Festival performance where he defied festival leaders with his electric sound.
Timothée Chalamet did an amazing job portraying Dylan. However, there was one scene at an earlier Newport Folk Festival where it felt like the director rushed him to do his best Dylan impression in three takes. Despite that one scene, casting Chalamet as Dylan carried the film — it was like watching a behind-the-scenes of Dylan in the 1960s. The look and the way he talked in most scenes was stunning. The rest of the casting was confusing, specifically Boyd Holbrook, who played Johnny Cash, and looked and sounded like a completely different person. Holbrook is a great actor, just not the greatest choice for this particular role.
Where the movie falls short, however, is how Dylan’s politics and opinions on the world run far deeper than the film portrays. A couple of protest scenes are featured, but they are toned down. It was almost awkward as Dylan walked up, watched a speech for a minute or less and then left. Although, he did give a performance at one.
When Dylan performed “Masters of War,” half of the lyrics were cut from the song. What makes “Masters of War” one of my favorite Dylan songs is him singing “That even Jesus would never / Forgive what you do” and him wishing death upon the subject of the song in the lyrics. Unfortunately, that was not featured in the film.
I wish the film had showcased more of Dylan’s life. It would have been nice to have seen his story through 1973 when he released “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” potentially his most well-known song due to the Guns N’ Roses cover. Also, seeing Dylan and The Band in the late 1960s would have enhanced the film even more, reaching a broader audience.
One thing “A Complete Unknown” did amazingly was the cinematography. The scenes looked stunning and true to the era — the color and contrast were out of this world. Modern cinema typically looks great no matter what, but the shot selection in the film is some of the best I have seen in years — props to the director of photography, Phedon Papamichael.
Though “A Complete Unknown” has a few flaws such as a loose plot, questionable casting and a toned-down Dylan experience, seeing the film made me happy. It put Dylan into context. It is hard to fathom that the songs have been around for more than 60 years because they are timeless and apply to today’s world as well.
The Goods
- Timothée Chalamet did amazing as Dylan
- Put Dylan into context
The Bads
- Questionable casting for side characters
- Loose plot
