‘A Complete Unknown’ follows Bob Dylan’s early career as the teen arrived in New York and eventually rose to folk stardom.
Folk was never a very popular music genre, especially as it tried to break through the resounding sound of rock ‘n’ roll in the 1960s. But those who liked it gravitated to its sense of purity, protest and aptitude, embracing the storytelling lyrics and the musicians who wrote them. Certain songs formed the genre’s backbone, covered by anyone trying to prove they belonged. But fresh, emerging voices were appealing to a younger pool of listeners that emptied record shelves and sold out venues. It was growing beyond the coffee house crowds and as A Complete Unknown illustrates, Bob Dylan was one of the artists leading the charge.
Nineteen-year-old Dylan (Timothée Chalamet) arrived in New York shortly after learning Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy) was hospitalized, determined to meet his folk hero. Pete Seeger (Edward Norton), who was also visiting with Guthrie, encouraged Dylan to play a song and was floored by the young man’s talent. Providing the traveling musician with room and board, Seeger introduced Dylan to the local folk scene, where he met Sylvie Russo (Elle Fanning). It also wasn’t long before he attracted the attention of a record label — though it took a little while longer to convince them to record Dylan’s original songs. Finding chemistry with fellow folk star, Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro), the pair would collaborate on and off stage for several years before Dylan was eventually ostracized for embracing a new rock sound.
The film covers the early part of Dylan’s career between 1961 and 1965 when he wrote some of his greatest hits in response to his experiences at the time. His inspirations ranged from the people he met to the Vietnam War to the decade’s many tragedies. Dylan is shown to be constantly writing music, barely sleeping as he works out a tune in the middle of the night. It’s amazing that the songs he composed 60 years ago, before he was even 30, are still so well-known and continue to carry meaning for listeners today. But he wished he could share his music without the burden of fame — be popular without being mobbed. Consequently, he also didn’t care what anyone thought, particularly as he defied the folk community by incorporating a rockabilly sound in his music.
Chalamet’s performance is remarkably good. The opening scenes seem a bit shaky, but as the film goes on, he grows more comfortable in Dylan’s skin and the impersonation becomes more convincing. The same can be said about his singing. He should be commended for performing all the in-film songs, as should Barbaro, who also sang Baez’s soulful melodies. Their duets always made for a strange pairing as they sang in opposite ends of the scale, but even on screen they’re able to capture the little spark the musicians shared together.
The depiction of Dylan’s friendship with Johnny Cash (Boyd Holbrook) is another interesting tidbit as the rebel guitarist encourages Dylan to do what he wants, both in person and in their poetic pen pal letters to each other. A sharp contrast to Seeger’s pleas that Dylan toe the line and abide by folk’s traditions. Once again, director James Mangold proves skilled at adaptations that double as period dramas, finding the balance between portraying the time and the people. While events didn’t always unfold exactly as they’re depicted in the film, Dylan had input in its creation and approves of the end result.
Director: James Mangold
Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Monica Barbaro and Scoot McNairy
