A Complete Unknown

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The person who claims BD is uninteresting just has nothing else to do. They're lame and will never get his brilliance.

You are right. Looks like many moviegoers may also agree.

If you say he was brilliant, then okay. Still not watching the movie because still not interested.

Sorry.

Thank you for this riveting update.

Your penetrating insights added so much to the conversation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am wondering whether the BD song “Like a Rolling Stone “ (from where the name Complete Unknown was derived) was written about Joan Baez. It came out around the same time they broke up maybe due to his fame eclipsing hers. It seems to be about phony self righteousness of a bougie bohemian woman getting harder to pull off as she gets older ….

I think it's supposed to be about socialite Edie Sedgewick who later died from drugs etc at 28. But often songs can be about more than one person/influence from the writer's life, so who really knows?

After reading more about her - she could also fit the narrative but the timing is off. He wrote the song in June 1965 and released it in July 1965 and did not spend time with ES until December 1965.

You right though - it could be about multiple people - including himself! After his motorcycle crash he said he had an epiphany that many of his songs were actually about himself. I guess we all see ourselves reflected in others and it is not always complimentary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am wondering whether the BD song “Like a Rolling Stone “ (from where the name Complete Unknown was derived) was written about Joan Baez. It came out around the same time they broke up maybe due to his fame eclipsing hers. It seems to be about phony self righteousness of a bougie bohemian woman getting harder to pull off as she gets older ….

I think it's supposed to be about socialite Edie Sedgewick who later died from drugs etc at 28. But often songs can be about more than one person/influence from the writer's life, so who really knows?

After reading more about her - she could also fit the narrative but the timing is off. He wrote the song in June 1965 and released it in July 1965 and did not spend time with ES until December 1965.

You right though - it could be about multiple people - including himself! After his motorcycle crash he said he had an epiphany that many of his songs were actually about himself. I guess we all see ourselves reflected in others and it is not always complimentary.

I thought Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat was about Edie Sedgwick?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am wondering whether the BD song “Like a Rolling Stone “ (from where the name Complete Unknown was derived) was written about Joan Baez. It came out around the same time they broke up maybe due to his fame eclipsing hers. It seems to be about phony self righteousness of a bougie bohemian woman getting harder to pull off as she gets older ….

I think it's supposed to be about socialite Edie Sedgewick who later died from drugs etc at 28. But often songs can be about more than one person/influence from the writer's life, so who really knows?

After reading more about her - she could also fit the narrative but the timing is off. He wrote the song in June 1965 and released it in July 1965 and did not spend time with ES until December 1965.

You right though - it could be about multiple people - including himself! After his motorcycle crash he said he had an epiphany that many of his songs were actually about himself. I guess we all see ourselves reflected in others and it is not always complimentary.

I thought Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat was about Edie Sedgwick?

That makes more sense time wise (written 1966 and he started spending time with her at end of 1965.

It is a weird song - hyper focused on a fashionable hat - fitting for the muse of Andy Warhol.

[Anonymous]

I always thought "the Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" was one of his most powerful songs. About a real person from southern Maryland:
https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/10/us/10zantzinger.html
He deserved the Nobel Prize.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought it was boring. But, it seems Dylan was and is boring. I am not into his music, tried to get into it, but just not my style. I think Eric Clapton is more my style.

Dylan is a genius. You probably don't get it

I might not get it. I am a classically trained pianist and have played Chopin, Between, etc. the hardest pieces in addition to studying composition, harmony, accompaniment, you name it.
I think his lyrics are great, I just don't like the wailing sounds of the voice.

Agree, he doesn't have a good singing voice.
Neither did David Bowie, but Bowie wasn't whiny.

What? David Bowie had a beautiful voice. -NP

No he didn't. Couldn't hit high notes. Mostly a low growl.
There is a difference between shouting and singing. Think Florence Foster Jenkins.

Each to their own, but I always thought Bowie was a fabulous singer. Dylan proved that being able to sing was not a requirement though. Hendrix said he couldn’t and wouldn’t sing, but then he heard Dylan and said well I may as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The person who claims BD is uninteresting just has nothing else to do. They're lame and will never get his brilliance.

You are right. Looks like many moviegoers may also agree.

If you say he was brilliant, then okay. Still not watching the movie because still not interested.

Sorry.

Thank you for this riveting update.

Your penetrating insights added so much to the conversation.

DP. Instead of responding to this troll, just report! Don't let him/her derail the thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find it hysterical that some Bob Dylan non-fan is spending their afternoon commenting in this movie thread about how they are not going to watch this movie and how they aren't interested in the thread. Hey, we're another 2 comments further down in the thread -- think they are interested in it now? Nope they will choose to read more comments here and then comment about how they aren't at all interested in the comments they just read. LISTEN, they are ABSOLUTELY NOT INTERESTED in these comments that they have been reading and will apparently continue to read. What about this comment? Is this comment also completely lacking in interesting and beneficial information for you? Let us know, please, it's really important that you do lol. GET ON IT!

I agree, but instead of giving him/her all this attention - just report them!

[Anonymous]

DP. Allow people the right to provide his/her own opinions. They may disagree; but that’s the purpose of open discourse. Not everyone will always agree.

Some people love BD; others, not so much. You shouldn’t have to be bullied into watching a movie. Some posters on this thread feel that if you do not absolutely love BD and rush to the movie theater, then you need correction.

Nothing wrong with BD; not everyone’s cup of tea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I always thought "the Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" was one of his most powerful songs. About a real person from southern Maryland:
https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/10/us/10zantzinger.html
He deserved the Nobel Prize.

That is an important social protest song and sadly the way the US justice system disproportionately jails and executes black Americans remains a major issue.

However, I don’t love the melody of this song or the literal story telling. I can see why he went literal for such a shocking story of fatal racism. A powerful song but not one of my favorite BD songs he in terms of music and poetic storytelling.

[Anonymous]

I’m a Dylan fan and thought A Complete Unknown was great.

I can’t even address that nut who thinks David Bowie wasn’t talented.

For some people, music is what plays in elevators. I don’t listen to their noise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought it was boring. But, it seems Dylan was and is boring. I am not into his music, tried to get into it, but just not my style. I think Eric Clapton is more my style.

Dylan is a genius. You probably don't get it

I might not get it. I am a classically trained pianist and have played Chopin, Between, etc. the hardest pieces in addition to studying composition, harmony, accompaniment, you name it.
I think his lyrics are great, I just don't like the wailing sounds of the voice.

I am, too, but have advanced degrees in literature and have always appreciated Dylan for the lyrics. I wish the movie would have gone more into the writing process. The Nobe prize in lot was well deserved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We really enjoyed the biopic on Bob Dylan starring Timothy Chalamet.

It is not perfect: Timothy’s portrayal of Bob Dylan remained enigmatic and bit superficial throughout. Did not explore why he changed his name from Zimmerman to Dylan in 1962 or why he seemingly ghosted his Jewish family in Minnesota.

But it is an evocative period piece that transported us to 1960s New York/ Greenwich Village. Timothy’s singing improved as the movie went on while Monica Barbaro who played Joan Baez sang her folk classics from that era beautifully.

Edward Norton as Pete Seeger was perfect. Boyd Holbrook as Johnny Cash, Scoot McNairy as Woody Guthrie and Elle Fanning as Dylan’s former girlfriend in real life were all well cast.

I am with the 95% of audience who gave it a fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

It was a good movie (retro NY scenes were great) - but it totally played to Bob Dylan the enigma and we did not get to see much below the surface of that image …

Maybe that was the point. If so, it was well done.

I’m a fan of BD’s music and work but did not feel satisfied by the movie overplaying the enigma aspect … even the transition to rock from folk came off as motivated by impulsive contrariness rather than conscious artistic choice … and I would have appreciated more insight into why he ghosted his Jewish Minnesota family and changed his name to Anglo sounding name. I just felt like they overdid the cool aura and underdid the human part of BD.

But liked it and appreciated how Timothy sang and played his music himself. The music was great.

Also, Ed Norton was amazing as PS - captured both the artist and human.

Read his book, Chronicles volume 1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not a fan, but it’s a good story: misfit reinvents himself & conquers the world with a guitar. These days he would probably just shoot up his high school.

But, I mean, the movie didn't really give us much insight into why. As soon as he actually got famous he freaked out, but then he kept on pursuing fame and and loved that celebrity lifestyle. He certainly is a lyrical genius, but he doesn't come across as a good person. Or very empathetic or kind to the many women he screwed over.

Has he pursued fame, or has he continued to do what he enjoys and can do, and the fame has followed?

[Anonymous]

Hope Ed Norton gets recognition tonight as supporting male actor for his phenomenal acting - and the movie in general gets a nod .., just to be nominated is an honor though …