A Complete Unknown is the worst Dylan biopic I’ve seen.1 It’s a Memory Lane sing-a -long. And the plot/narrative? Negligible. Quite how Dylan’s story can be emptied into a series of brooding scenes is beyond me.
Elle Fanning (Sylvie Russo)2 is a terrific actor and the director had her play Russo as a dead eyed dumb blond. Except Sylvie Russo, aka Suze Rotolo, wasn’t a dumb blond. She was a vivacious intelligent woman important to Dylan in his magical early years.
[Dylan] wrote multiple songs about Rotolo’s leaving, including “Boots of Spanish Leather.”3
The films treatment of Pete Seegar is a travesty. He’s portrayed as a hollowed-out pantomime figure strumming a banjo.
In a nutshell Dylan is, apparently, an idiot savant spending every moment playing a guitar and composing. Everyone around Dylan is a ghost drifting aimlessly.
The transition to electric created an American version of the Stravinsky, Rites of Spring, Parisian riots of 1913. Except they were tame. And Dylan, unlike Stravinsky, threw red meat to the crowd with a ‘greatest hits’ tune.
If you are a child of the 60s and a Dylan fan this is essential viewing….. Otherwise?
Notes
1The documentary No Direction Home, 2005 is very good. No Direction Home – Wikipedia
For a very superior film try I’m Not There, 2007. Cate Blanchett is unbelievably good in this film cate blanchett plays bob dylan – Search
My 60th anniversary critique of Blowin’ in the Wind is still OK. Song Review: Blowin’ in the Wind (Dylan) 60th Anniversary (1962-2022) | Odeboyz’s Blog
2 Sylvie Russo is a fictional name for Dylan’s girlfriend Suze Roloto Who Was Bob Dylan’s Girlfriend Suze Rotolo? The Person Who Inspired Sylvie Russo
3 loc.cit.
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