In recent years, without fail, fan-favorite actor Timothée Chalamet stars in a long-awaited film. On Dec. 24, 2024, he starred in “A Complete Unknown,” a film depicting the rise of the ever-elusive music legend Bob Dylan.
Based on Elijah Wald’s book, “Dylan Goes Electric!” The film depicts Bob Dylan’s growth and development from 1961 to 1965.
“I believe Chalamet did really good playing as Bob Dylan; how he spoke sounds so similar to Bob Dylan from his music… It’s insane,” said OH senior and movie fanatic Jack Beaudette.
Many viewers also found the cast incredibly talented, yet perhaps not well suited for their roles. The cast includes Timothée Chalamet as Dylan, Edward Norton as folk legend Pete Seeger, Monica Barbaro as the beloved Joan Baez, Elle Fanning as the cultured girlfriend of Dylan’s Sylvie Russo, and Boyd Holbrook as Johnny Cash.
“I didn’t like Boyd Holbrook as Johnny Cash; he doesn’t give me the feeling of Johnny Cash,” said Beaudette.
Despite this feeling, the film has been given 3.6 stars out of 5 on the movie review app letterboxd and 79% on Rotten Tomatoes Tomato Meter. Fans and critics alike agree that there is something special about this film.
The process of directing and scripting for this film was akin to gentle hands molding the scenes into a careful compilation that displays Dylan’s music and the era that formed it for all to see.
“Imagine hearing the unapologetic lyrics of [[“Masters of War”]] while potential Armageddon has practically emptied New York City of people, looking for somewhere that might be safer than Manhattan. It’s indicative of why Mangold’s film works overall—its effort to weave Dylan’s music into the fabric of the storytelling instead of just using it as a soundtrack,” said critic Robert Ebert in his film review.
We view not only the chaos that was the 60s but also the personal tolls it brings upon people. The character of Sylvie shows this well, with her involvement in activism and her invitation to Dylan to join these efforts. This gives the viewer a wider understanding of Dylan than many had before the film.
“I didn’t realize that [Dylan] was such a deep and prolific songwriter,” said OH science teacher Pamela Phelps.
Ultimately, the music is most of what we know of Dylan. No one except for those close to him really knows him. We recognize his aloof nature, and that is most definitely a point stuck to in the film, we practically see this persona develop as the film progresses.
Within the film, we also see Dylan’s musical evolution: we see his style develop from earthy folk music to swanky rock throughout the film. We are introduced to him as idolizing Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, and he branching off into his own style with the use of electric instruments.
“It explained his part in the folk movement into rock and roll and painted him as kinda revolutionary,” said Phelps.
We see this come to fruition at the climax of the film, at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. There is all this hubbub about if Dylan is going to play his set acoustic or electric. From the festival organizers to his mentor, everyone has an opinion.
This is the moment where everything shifts for him: he plays the set partially electric. He plays the songs “Maggie’s Farm,” “Like A Rolling Stone,” and “Phantom Engineer” to a crowd with a split reaction. Dylan and the band ultimately walk off stage. After pleading, Dylan returns on stage to play two more songs acoustically and does not return after those songs.
“It’s like a piece of history,” said Phelps.
The film cements this change as something to be admired. It frames Dylan’s rebellion aspect as something new for him to embark on for the good of music history.
“If you love music, or you’re open to learning about types of music, or you love Timothée Chalamet [this is a good film to watch],” said Phelps.
A Complete Unknown will be back at Kendall 11 on Feb. 22.
Hi, I'm Skye, this is my first year as a student journalist here at the 42Fifty. I am in my senior year and involved in various extracurriculars including, Speech, LASO, and YAG. Follow me on all socials! @eskyeeeeee
