Harmonica riffs, guitar strums and realistic song lyrics were all key components of the new movie “A Complete Unknown” (2024) starring Timothée Chalamet as the esteemed singer Bob Dylan.
Inspired by a true story
The movie tells the story of Dylan’s early career as a musician during the early 1960’s. Dylan is starting out playing small gigs as a folk singer. The folk sound follows him as he releases albums and rises to fame. The story ends in 1965 at the Newport Folk festival. The festival became infamous when Dylan first played his new album, “The Bringing It All Back Home.” The songs on that album were his first songs that were not purely acoustic.
The film was inspired by the book “Dylan Goes Electric!: Newport, Seeger, Dylan, and the Night That Split the Sixties,” written by Elijah Wald. It is a biography written about Dylan’s early years and the decision he made to start experimenting with the electric guitar. The movie depicts how Dylan began his career singing only acoustic folk music, but slowly embraced rock and roll sounds. Many people in his life discouraged his new ideas and wanted him to stay fully acoustic, but Dylan prevailed with his new music.
“The film culminates in Dylan’s controversial performance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, at a time when the folk music scene was split between those who embraced the kinds of electric guitars that defined rock and roll and those who thought the acoustic guitar was the more authentic form of entertainment,” Time Magazine’s Olivia B. Waxman wrote.
Help from Dylan himself
Bob Dylan approved of the movie and even helped in the process of making the film. The musician, gave edits to the script, and conversed with the director, James Mangold.
On the podcast, Happy Sad Confused via Indiewire, Mangold said “I’ve spent several, wonderfully charming days in his company, just one-on-one, talking to [Dylan],” wrote Kory Grow.
“It is difficult for an for an actor to approach playing someone who is still alive. It took years for Chalamet to perfect the mumble, to play the guitar and sing like Bob Dylan, that was really impressive to me. I thought he captured Dylan’s essence and his distinctive vocal delivery,” Professor of Communication Steve Macek said.
Overall review
The film received 79% on Rotten Tomatoes.
“Charged by Timothée Chalamet’s electric performance, this ballad of Bob Dylan might not get under the enigmatic artist’s skin but will make you feel like you’ve spent time in his company,” Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus said.
“A Complete Unknown” is a movie that is worth a watch whether someone is a die hard Bob Dylan fan or has never even heard of him. The way the movie acknowledges historical events happening in America during the early 1960’s is subtle, but executed perfectly. The audience can see how the historical events are affecting the characters; but it is not the main focus of the movie.
The music is what makes the film exceptional. There are different songs in practically every scene, the songs enhance the film. Not to mention, the outstanding performances from the actors in the film. Chalamet transforms into Dylan and sings his songs effectively. While some may find the constant song-singing throughout the film to be tiresome, the singing elevates the film. Dylan’s lyrics make the movie more enjoyable. The songs also help to understand the character of Bob Dylan better.
“I really loved the movie! I’m both a Bob Dylan fan and a Timothee fan so when I found out about this movie I was so excited. Timothee looks very similar to Bob and did an amazing job as him,” Taylin Lemke, ’25, said.
“A Complete Unknown” was nominated for three Golden Globes. The golden Globes committe nominated the film for several awards. The nomination include Chalamet for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama. The Golden Globes committee nominated Edward Norton for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role. The Golden Globes committee also nominated the movie for Best Motion Picture – Drama. The film received eight Academy Award nominations. Although the movie did not win anything at the Globes, or the Oscar’s, it is still one of the best movies of the year.
