Nice discussion gents, I appreciate your fact checks and historical context. I am surprised to not hear more about the strength of the performances other than they are very good. I think there is a lot more to discuss there, Chalamet performing direct to camera and the artistic chemistry between the Dylan and Baez characters, I thought quite magical. Also, am I wrong to say there is simply more music in a Complete Unknown, than usual in a music movie? It seems to me that so many music movies don’t have nearly this much music
thanks. hey, Nate and I could have talked for another hour! the performances were amazing and the scenes w/ Bob and Joan were electric and yes, magical. there was more music in this than usual, which some critics have said took away from the story line development. which i disagree with, because the music was an equal part of the story.
Thanks for the Wald quote, really great! I played that excerpt for my wife and she brought up the Chinese diner scene where Sylvie cites "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" as a song about how history repeats itself and we don't learn; Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" takes that imagery and extends it, implicitly asking us to make change. But then that sets up "The Times They are A-Changin'" -- we are breaking the cycle, don't pretend it isn't happening.
For me the concert performance (in the film) twisted the knife though. Instead of confronting the old guard (politicians and parents), it became a moment for the younger generation to sing along: I'm beyond their command, I'm changing the world, I feel seen! Yes, it's about community and renewing yourself to keep fighting for -- so maybe I'm not being fair -- but something about that scene seemed to me to point the finger at complacent self-congratulation. It was the ambiguity, actually, that captured me -- as in the Wald quote.
Glad to see the discussion at the end about what happened to the women in this movie? Toshi doesn’t talk, what??
Nice discussion gents, I appreciate your fact checks and historical context. I am surprised to not hear more about the strength of the performances other than they are very good. I think there is a lot more to discuss there, Chalamet performing direct to camera and the artistic chemistry between the Dylan and Baez characters, I thought quite magical. Also, am I wrong to say there is simply more music in a Complete Unknown, than usual in a music movie? It seems to me that so many music movies don’t have nearly this much music
thanks. hey, Nate and I could have talked for another hour! the performances were amazing and the scenes w/ Bob and Joan were electric and yes, magical. there was more music in this than usual, which some critics have said took away from the story line development. which i disagree with, because the music was an equal part of the story.
Thanks for the Wald quote, really great! I played that excerpt for my wife and she brought up the Chinese diner scene where Sylvie cites "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" as a song about how history repeats itself and we don't learn; Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" takes that imagery and extends it, implicitly asking us to make change. But then that sets up "The Times They are A-Changin'" -- we are breaking the cycle, don't pretend it isn't happening.
For me the concert performance (in the film) twisted the knife though. Instead of confronting the old guard (politicians and parents), it became a moment for the younger generation to sing along: I'm beyond their command, I'm changing the world, I feel seen! Yes, it's about community and renewing yourself to keep fighting for -- so maybe I'm not being fair -- but something about that scene seemed to me to point the finger at complacent self-congratulation. It was the ambiguity, actually, that captured me -- as in the Wald quote.