“A Complete Unknown” is a 2024 biopic directed by James Mangold and distributed by Searchlight Pictures. The film depicts the career of musical legend Bob Dylan (Timothée Chalamet) as he finds success in folk music and faces backlash for transitioning to rock and roll. “A Complete Unknown” had an estimated budget of 50-70 million dollars, and as of Jan. 14 has brought in 51 million dollars at the domestic box office (the-numbers.com).
The film opens in 1961 after a 19-year-old Dylan moves to New York City. He initially establishes himself in the city’s folk scene with help from folk singer Pete Seeger (Edward Norton). He finds fame and success; however, he grows restless in the folk genre and attempts to switch to a more electric sound. He faces negative reactions from fans and the folk music community, which was seen during his headlining performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, where the crowd boos and throws things at him during his set. Bob Dylan is most famous for his transition between genres and “A Complete Unknown” does a great job capturing the struggles he faced as a result.
Alongside his musical career, the film also follows Dylan’s turbulent romantic relationships with Sylvia Russo (Elle Fanning) and musician Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro). This storyline is important, not only for its entertainment value but to provide some insight into the influences of Dylan’s music.
His songs are known for their poetry and lyricism, redefining industry standards for songwriting. In 2016, Dylan received a Nobel Prize in Literature “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition” (nobelprize.org). This film does a great job of depicting the complicated nature of Dylan’s relationships, working to show him in a flawed, human and relatable light.
My experience with this film was different than most movies I have seen, which are usually targeted at audiences my age. My friends and I were probably the youngest people in the theater by thirty years. “A Complete Unknown” is unique due to the fact that it attracted viewers across generations, captivating fans of Dylan and Chalamet alike. Older generations came for nostalgia, to rewatch the transformation that Dylan brought to the music industry. Younger audiences came to see some of their favorite actors and were inadvertently introduced to Dylan’s music and the influence he had on the folk and rock genres.
I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It’s obvious how much thought and passion went into telling Dylan’s story; everything from the production to the acting was outstanding. Chalamet especially does a great job imitating Dylan’s mannerisms and speech patterns. It is clear that he put in the work to get this role right. I found it very impressive that Chalamet performed all of the songs live on camera, instead of using a recording of himself or Dylan. His versions of the songs sound extremely similar to the original recordings.
Overall, I’d highly recommend this film to music fans of any age. I think all viewers can appreciate this film as a tribute to Dylan’s career and his undeniable impact on modern music.
