A Complete Unknown. A Complete biopic. A Complete masterpiece. Stars such as Timothée Chalamet, Elle Fanning, and Monica Barbaro dazzled the screen in the re-telling of events “leading up to the fiasco at Newport”, as Bob Dylan shared in a post to X — endorsing the film and Chalamet’s performance.
Based on Elijah Wald’s novel Dylan Goes Electric, the movie follows a young Bob Dylan while he shamelessly navigates the trials and tribulations of revolutionizing folk music in the 1960s.
An entrancing piece, A Complete Unknown has effectively imparted the legacy of folk music: the genre and Dylan’s unique writing style were used to voice the counterculture, civil rights, and anti-war movements. As depicted throughout the film, a mass of fans who followed the artist emphasized the importance of Dylan’s music as a tool for change. Thus, Dylan’s transition to rock n’ roll signified a departure from the traditional means of protest and a culture that so many were familiar with, igniting anger among folk enthusiasts alike.
The scenes, the costumes, and the tone felt authentic to the era in which the film represented. There was nothing quite like immersing yourself in the smokey, linoleum hospital room that housed Woody Guthrie in his final years; losing yourself in Dylan’s classic Ray Ban’s; or finding a sense of calm as Chalamet — who performed live for the soundtrack — soothed an anxious crowd with a powerful tune. There is something so magical about transporting yourself to a time that may be “unknown”, but that remains all the more compelling in its execution on the screen.
Chalamet, who spent “five years” preparing for the role, did not disappoint. His recreation of Dylan’s dialect, his talent on the guitar as well as the harmonica, and his unwavering loyalty to the character are a testament to the time and dedication that he devoted to this role. Chalamet truly captured Dylan’s development over time and grew into the complexity that was his life, conveying what he learned about the artist to the audience.
Further, Chalamet embodied a challenging relationship with Elle Fanning who revived Suze Rotolo (or Sylvie Russo as she was called in the film), and a tempestuous chemistry with Monica Barbaro who played Joan Baez, a fellow folk musician and Dylan’s mistress. The uncertainty of Dylan’s love life reoccurred throughout the film and fueled much of the conflict alongside Dylan’s itch for the new and different. In uncovering Dylan’s relationships, we discovered more about his unconventional nature and how it bred an evolution within himself.
A Complete Unknown is surely one for the books. This August film was the reinvention we never knew we needed. What a wonderful tribute to Dylan’s spirit, career, and legacy. I can’t express enough just how captivating it was, and the waves this film is set to make as a conveyer of visionary storytelling. Both the actors involved and the film itself have been nominated for awards at the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild Awards, and more — securing 15 wins so far in various categories –, and I am confident there is more to come.
