A Complete Unknown || Movie review (ENG/SPN)
(ENGLISH)
First of all, I'd like to invite all Hive.blog users to subscribe to the Movies & TV Shows community. Especially my Hivers friends: @amigoponc, @cieliss, @elpastor.
Access this link to see the publication rules: How To Improve Your Posts
Review
Hello everyone! I want to share my experience watching an incredibly good film called "A Complete Unknown", which I highly recommend. A high-quality film with brilliant visuals and excellent dramatization.
It was released in 2024 with a stellar performance by Timothée Chalamet, a French-American actor, portraying "Dylan" with a captivatingly realistic touch.
The film is set in 1960s New York City and tells the story and rise of Robert Allen Zimmerman, popularly known in the music world as Bob Dylan".
This film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture. I predict it could become a cult film in a few years. Don't miss it!
Introduction
How can I talk about this film without diminishing or giving away spoilers?
Well, I'll try! Although more than seeing it, I admit, for me it was like living it.
This film brings back memories of my adolescence when I built a music library with each album in my collection that meant so much to me.
Back in those years, with Bob Dylan being one of my favorite folk musicians, I thought,
Will any of my friends listen to this musical gem?
While everyone else was busy with heavy metal or other progressive rock-derived styles, I focused, especially on this artist, trying to understand his lyrics and his distinctive musical style.
Every renowned musical artist tells a pioneering story, has specific roots, a career trajectory, and a career peak. Nothing better than watching this film to get to know Robert Zimmerman, our excellent singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, the subject of today's topic.
A virtuoso teenager with a talent for poetic composition and music (through the guitar), who revolutionized the concept of "folk," influencing the minds and hearts of an entire generation of fans.
Bob Dylan's impact on me as a musician was such that from the start he overshadowed me with the song Mr. Tambourine Man, with the harmonica playing its melody throughout the song, while simultaneously playing rhythmic chords on the guitar, all played simultaneously by Dylan in a display of innate skill.
An excerpt from the song:
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to
Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come following you
Excellent, continue!
A 20th-century gem created by a revolutionary troubadour that still resonates in my head with that melancholic and visionary tone of a young dreamer who accepts the challenge of the masses and the demanding audience of the time at "Live at the Newport Folk Festival 1964," a stage where he rose to fame.
Other songs like Blowing In The Wind and The Times They Are A-Changin' evoke the need for social change in which young people demand attention, while the workers' union demands rights to their jobs, as well as an end to the war and the injustices, in favor of a diplomatic agreement between nations that would slow the impact of the Cold War.
We also have the song Like a Rolling Stone, which denotes the artist's evolution over time and his slight influence from what is known in the musical genre as the "British Invasion." A time when the industry was led by bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stone, among others, showcasing innovative sounds and more complex musical structures.
"One More Cup of Coffee" is a melancholic and slow song Dylan performs with renowned artist Emmylou Harris, who is also referenced in the film. The lyrics of this song are dark and surreal, touching on the excesses of mundane life and a strange projection of death.
It has been covered by several musicians, one of my favorites being Bob Marley's version in the form of "Reggae" music, which he performs heartbreakingly well.
"Knockin' on Heaven's Door" is also a Bob Dylan original, which was adopted by the American rock band Guns and Roses on their album Use Your Illusion II, who offer a well-known version that ultimately retains the same cadence and original structure without straying too far from the meaning ingrained in it by its true author.
For these and many other reasons, I identify with this film, as I see in it a kind of soundtrack to my own life.
I've always paid great attention to music and its potential richness. An art form that can unite nations, bring people together in a demonstration that "Anything is possible," and that each song represents a cry of hope.
Likewise, making it big in the music world isn't easy. Sometimes it's due to political factors, ambitions, personal whims, and other scourges, which can deter an artist and affect their creative process.
"Bob Dylan faced all of this. Breaking down the barriers of idiosyncrasy. He managed to emerge in a world plagued by adversity, bad influences, traps of fate, and deceptions that constantly threatened his career."
Development
The film shows us a selfless young man who writes his own songs alone and composes short melodies on his acoustic guitar, locked within the four walls of his room.
Having left home at nineteen, the boy arrives in a turbulent 1960s New York with limited resources and carrying his instrument.
After peeking through the doors of a bar, he witnesses for the first time the performance of several local artists from the Blues & Jazz scene. Asking for a chance to perform, he immediately captivates the audience, who wonder about his origins.
Others, filled with envy, don't understand how such a young musician can suddenly appear and gain a place in the music scene, so they set about tarnishing his image by compromising the musician's reluctance to live in that city.
For his part, Bob chooses to remain anonymous, singing incessantly in bars to establish himself in the mainstream music scene.
Thus, thanks to his perseverance, he eventually achieved the recognition he longed for, transcending the music scene to the point of achieving fame and touring with the most famous artists of the time.
His participation in The Newport Folk Festival catapulted him to fame, given the coverage on television media across the country, as well as the airplay on radio stations where he was already beginning to be played frequently, captivating part of the audience with his melodies and alerting others to the revolutionary meaning of his lyrics.
Most Impactful Scenes
In my personal opinion, this film is filled with evocative settings of the era. It creates an immersive effect that makes you feel like you're in the 1960s, filled with colors, conservative wardrobes, and warm, unassuming homes, creating a peaceful yet captivating atmosphere.
The bar floors reflect dimly lit environments with wooden details and the truly present-day sound of guitars that allow you to distinguish the naturalness of each note and each masterful composition, both by Dylan and other artists in the field.
I think the second half of the film is the most striking because it reflects some of the artist's personality changes, ranging from existential conflict to a heartbreaking sense of frustration with music.
Just then, he decided to evolve, seasoning his compositions with new elements—electric sounds, keyboards, bass, and drums—which were difficult for fans to accept, having internalized his art until then, which had always been oriented toward acoustic traditional folk songs.
But even so, he persisted and released his new offering, showing courage and self-determination.
Demonstrating to everyone that a musician fights to maintain his essence and gradually changes to rise to the occasion. He truly believes in what he does, without allowing any interference from the music industry or his managers.
Conclusions
In my opinion, this is one of those movies where it's better not to conclude anything; rather, it's worth diving into the plot and accepting that things simply happened that way, with their ups and downs, just as all things are in life and the mysterious path to success.
Musical instruments, live performances, a recording studio, solo guitars in a room, haunting harmonicas—that's what this film offers.
The excellent drama embodied by a first-class cast assembled to masterfully tell the story of an admirable 20th-century troubadour, nothing more.
The result is the creation of a folk music "hero" facing the new times.
"A Complete Unknown" is a musical drama based on real events that allows you to experience the life of an influential musician and his evolution, without leaving any half measures or wasted material, because I admit it all simply corresponds to an exquisite film from beginning to end.
To close this topic, I want to highlight that Robert Allen Zimmerman (Bob Dylan) was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016 for creating a new form of poetic expression within the lyrics of his songs, transcending American musical culture thanks to his innovation and richness of storytelling.
Thank you for getting this far, I really appreciate it. I recommend posting on:
MOVIES & TV SHOWS
@nachomolina2
I invite you to visit my previous posts on MOVIES & TV SHOWS:
Hold Your Breath || Movie review
(SPANISH)
Antes que nada quiero invitar a todos los usuarios de la plataforma Hive.blog a suscribirse en la comunidad Movies & TV Shows. Especialmente a mis amigos Hivers @amigoponc, @cieliss, @elpastor.
Accede a este enlace para ver las bases de publicación: How To Improve Your Posts
Reseña
Hola a todos! Les quiero contar mi experiencia al ver una película increíblemente buena llamada "A complete unknow", la cual recomiendo. Un film de altísima calidad con imágenes brillantes y excelente dramatización.
Fue lanzada en el año 2024 con la actuación estelar de Timothée Chalamet un actor franco-estadounidense personificando a "Dylan" con un toque realista cautivador.
La película está ambientada en la ciudad de New York de los años 60 y cuenta la historia y ascenso de Robert Allen Zimmerman, conocido popularmente en el mundo musical como "Bob Dylan".
Esta película fue nominada al Premio Oscar como mejor película. Predigo que en algunos años podría convertirse en una película de culto. ¡No te lo puedes perder!
Introducción
¿Cómo poder hablar de esta película sin atenuar, ni hacer spoiler?
¡Bueno, lo intentaré!, aunque más que verla, admito, que para mí fue como vivirla.
Esta película me trae el recuerdo de mi adolescencia cuando construía una biblioteca musical con cada album de colección los cuales significaban tanto para mí.
En aquellos años, siendo Bob Dylan uno de mis favoritos de la música Folk, pensaba;
¿Alguno de mis amigos escuchará esta joya musical?,
Mientras todos estaban lo suficientemente ocupados con el heavy metal u otro estilo progresivo derivado del rock, yo me fijé, especialmente en este artista, tratando de comprender sus letras y su estilo musical característico.
Todo artista musical reconocido cuenta una historia precursora, tiene unas raíces específicas, una trayectoria de ascenso y un clímax de su carrera. Nada mejor que ver este film para conocer en primera persona a "Robert Zimmerman", nuestro excelentísimo cantautor Bob Dylan, en torno al cual gira el tema de hoy.
Un adolescente virtuoso con talento para la composición poética y la música (a través de la guitarra), que revolucionó el concepto del "Folk" influyendo en las mentes y corazones de toda una generación de seguidores.
Tanto fue el impacto que generó en mí Bob Dylan como músico que desde el principio me eclipsó con la canción "Mr, tambourine man", con la melodía realizada por la harmónica a lo largo de la canción, al tiempo que ejecuta acordes rítmicos en la guitarra, todo interpretado simultáneamente por Dylan en una muestra de habilidades innata.
Un extracto de la canción:
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to
Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come following you
(Spanish)
No tengo sueño y no hay ningún lugar al que ir
Oye, Sr. Tambourine Man, toca una canción para mí.
En el tintineo de la mañana iré siguiéndote
¡Excelente, seguimos!
Una gema del siglo XX creada por un trovador revolucionario que aun resuena en mi cabeza con ese tono melancólico y visionario de un joven soñador que acepta el reto de las masas y el exigente público de la época en "Live at the Newport Folk Festival 1964", un escenarrio del cual saltó a la fama.
Otras canciones como: Blowing In The Wind, The Times They Are A-Changin', evocan la necesidad de un cambio social en el cual los jóvenes demandan atención, mientras el gremio de trabajadores pide reivindicaciones a sus puestos de trabajo, así como, el cese de la guerra y las injusticias, en pro de un acuerdo diplomático entre naciones que desaceleraran el impacto de la guerra fría.
También tenemos el tema Like a rolling stone que denota la evolución del artista en el paso del tiempo y su pequeña influencia de lo que se conoce en el género musical como la "Invasión Británica". Una época donde la industria fue liderada por agrupaciones, como The beatles y The rolling stone, entre otras, haciendo gala de innovadores sonidos y estructuras musicales más complejas.
"One more cup of coffee", es un tema melancólico y pausado el cual Dylan interpreta con la reconocida artista Emmylou Harris, a quien también se hace referencia en la película. La letra de esta canción es oscura y surrealista que roza los desmanes de la vida mundana y una proyección extraña sobre la muerte.
Ha sido versionada por varios músicos, siendo una de mis favoritas, la versión hecha por Bob Marley en formato de música "Reggae", la cual interpreta desgarradoramente bien.
"Knockin' on heavens door", también es un tema original de Bob Dylan el cual fue adoptado por la agrupación de rock estadounidense Guns and Roses los cuales ofrecen una versión bastante reconocida que en el fondo conserva la misma cadencia y estructura original sin distanciarse mucho del significado que arraigó en ella su verdadero autor.
Por estas y muchas otras razones me identifico con esta película, ya que veo en ella una especie de soundtrack de mi propia vida.
Siempre le presté gran atención a la música y su potencial riqueza. Una forma de arte que puede unir a las naciones, acercar a las personas en una muestra de que "Todo es posible" y que cada canción representa un grito de esperanza.
De igual forma, trascender en el escenario musical no es algo fácil. En ocasiones obedece a factores políticos, ambiciones, caprichos personales, entre otros flagelos, que pueden llegar a amilanar a un artista y afectar su proceso creativo.
"Bob Dylan se enfrentó a todo ésto. Rompiendo las barreras de la idiosincrasia. Logra surgir en un mundo plagado de adversidades, malas influencias, trampas del destino y engaños que atentaban constantemente con su carrera."
Desarrollo
La película nos muestra a un joven desinteresado que escribe en solitario canciones propias y compone pequeñas melodías con la guitarra acústica encerrado en las cuatro paredes de su habitación.
Habiendo dejado su hogar a los diecinueve años el chico llega a una convulsionada Nueva York de los años sesenta con escasos recursos y trayendo a cuestas su instrumento.
Luego de asomarse a las puertas de una cantina presencia por primera vez la puesta en escena de varios artistas locales de la movida Blues & Jazz. Pidiendo una oportunidad para presentarse, logra cautivar inmediatamente al público del lugar quienes se preguntan acerca de su procedencia.
Otros, colmados de envidia, no comprenden como un músico tan joven puede aparecer de repente y ganarse un lugar en la escena musical, por tanto, se dan a la tarea de empañar su imagen comprometiendo al músico a la renuencia de sus primeros tiempos en aquella ciudad.
Por su parte, Bob, apuesta por mantener el anonimato, y solo se dedica a cantar incesantemente en los bares para lograr implantarse por sus propios medios en la fibra musical existente.
Fue así que gracias a su perseverancia al cabo de un tiempo logra el tan soñado reconocimiento trascendiendo en la escena musical al punto de acariciar la fama y salir de gira con los artistas importantes más famosos de la época.
Su participación en "The Newport Folk Festival", lo catapultó a la fama, dado, la cobertura en los medios televisivos de todo el país, tanto como, la difusión en las emisoras de radio donde ya empezaba a sonar frecuentemente cautivando a una parte de la audiencia con sus melodías y alertando a otros por el significado revolucionario que guardaban sus letras.
Escenas más impactantes
En mi opinión personal, este film esta cargado de escenarios evocadores de la época. Crea un efecto envolvente que te hace vivir en los años sesenta colmado de colores, vestuarios conservadores, viviendas cálidas poco ostentosas, lo cual ofrece un clima pacífico y a la vez cautivante.
Las tarimas de los bares reflejan ambientes a media luz con detalles en madera y el sonido de las guitarras realmente presenciales que permiten diferenciar la naturalidad de cada nota y cada composición magistral, tanto de Dylan, como demás artistas del medio.
Creo que la segunda mitad del film es la más impactante porque refleja algunos cambios en la personalidad del artista que van desde el conflicto existencial hasta el desgarrador sentimiento de frustración por la música.
Justo cuando, decide evolucionar, sazonando sus composiciones con elementos nuevos, sonidos eléctricos, teclados, bajo y batería, que son difíciles de aceptar por parte de los seguidores quienes habían logrado internalizar su arte hasta el momento, el cual estuvo orientado siempre, hacia temas acústicos de Folk tradicional.
Pero aun así, él persiste y saca afuera su nueva propuesta dando una muestra de valor y auto determinación.
Demostrando a todos que un músico lucha por mantener su escencia y cambia gradualmente para ponerse a la altura de las circunstancias. Cree fielmente en lo que hace, sin permitir intercesiones por parte de la industria musical o de sus managers.
Conclusiones
Según mi opinión esta es una de esas películas donde es mejor no concluir nada, más bien, vale la pena sumergirse en la trama y aceptar que las cosas sencillamente sucedieron así, con sus, altas y bajas, tal como son todas las cosas de la vida y el misterioso camino hacia el éxito.
Solo instrumentos musicales, espectáculos en vivo, set de grabaciones, guitarras solistas en el marco de una habitación, harmónicas inquietantes, es lo que ofrece este film.
El excelente drama encarnado por un reparto de primera reunidos para contar, magistralmente, la historia de un admirable trovador del siglo XX, nada más.
Teniendo como resultado la construcción de un "héroe" de la música Folk dando la cara a los nuevos tiempos.
"A complete unknow", es un drama musical ambientado en hechos reales que permite experimentar la vida de un músico influyente y su evolución, sin dejar medias tintas, ni algún material de desperdicio, porque admito, que todo corresponde simplemente a un film exquisito de principio a fin.
Para cerrar el tema, quiero destacar, que Robert allen zimmerman (Bob Dylan), fue galardonado con el premio Nobel a la Literatura en el año 2016, por ser creador de una nueva forma de expresión poética dentro de la lírica de sus canciones, trascendiendo la cultura musical estadounidense gracias a su innovación y riqueza argumental.
Gracias por llegar hasta aquí, lo valoro realmente. Recomiendo publicar en:
MOVIES & TV SHOWS
@nachomolina2
Te invito a visitar mis publicaciones anteriores en MOVIES & TV SHOWS:
Hold Your Breath || Movie review
"Recortes" de windows.]
Publicado también en reddit:
https://www.reddit.com/user/nachomolina/comments/1ksfuza/a_complete_unknown_movie_review_engspn_hive/ #posh
Unlike a lot of my high school friends I never pretended to 'get" Bob Dylan. I never really appreciated his music and didn't think he could sing very well. This movie does a great job of kind of explaining why he is special and how his music really is poetic and basically a historical story of what was going on at the time. This is a good watch even for people like me that find his music a bit irritating :)
@netflixr The great thing about music is that it has artists for all tastes. I see that almost no one likes Bob Dylan, but I do. I think his music and lyrics are exceptional. Thanks for your review and leaving your comment. You know, @netflixr, maybe you can recommend a good band? Or a worthwhile biopic? I'm sure you can. See you later, friend, I appreciate your visit to my blog.
The film sets were awesome. Honestly Chalemet did a great job - it didn't take long for us to see him as Dylan. My Dad was a Dylan fan and we saw him twice. He died last year, so I wasn't sure I could watch the film without crying. I bawled for the first song (hey hey woody guthrie I wrote you a song) - but after that I was okay. I was a bit disappointed in the Cash actor as he just didn't feel like Cash to me, but it was pretty funny watching that scene where he tries getting out of the carpark and hits those cars - so Cash.
It struck me how autistic Dylan was/is - at least on some spectrum. I don't know why it hadn't occurred to me before!
You're actually absolutely right. Cash's character didn't convince me either. I suppose Cash's personality was perhaps of that type, somewhat arrogant. As for young Bob Dylan, I'd say, how did he get so far with such a peaceful and reserved attitude? How did he climb the ranks with just a guitar? I mean, without a band behind him. That's Dylan's secret. Despite not being charismatic, he was simply in the right place at the right time. Thank you @riverflows for sharing your musical knowledge with me and leaving such a brilliant comment. I really appreciate it.
Cash was a legend imho. He was sooo punk I reckon. Confident in what he did, for sure, over arrogant. Most of the time he was addicted to amphetamines. Have you seen the Cash film 'Walk the Line'? Joaquin Phoenix inhabited Cash in the same way Chalamet inhabited Dylan.
Dylan was in the right place at the right time for sure - it'd be so much harder to break in now even if you were a musical genius and lyricist like Dylan! Dead right. I guess he was also rubbing shoulders with some of the greatest in the NY scene at the time hey! And to be adopted by Seeger like that - which I had no idea about - and Baez as well.
I think he had his own kind of charisma. The film brought that home I reckon - that he was driven by his own need to create music, his way. He definitley wasn't a people pleaser and you gotta respect him for that. I guess these days you HAVE to please the record companies or you risk not making money. Or, you have to be so damn good that the music speaks for itself. Ren comes to mind.