The Wasteland Reviewer

A Complete Unknown (2024) Written Review

Who is Bob Dylan? That is a fascinating and complex question. Generations of people know of Bob Dylan and know his music. He has created some of the most iconic songs in the history of music and he became a defining voice in the music scene in the 1960s. His songs have focused on so many different messages about the world around us and things that we need to do. “The Times They Are A-Changin’” has become an anthem for the 60s and the way American society has shifted in such big ways. You probably know at least a dozen songs from Dylan because of how influential his music has been. But one thing is true…we don’t know Robert Allen Zimmerman. Enigma. Mystery. Grifter. Dylan purposefully put his past behind him and created himself anew. James Mangold certainly captures that spirit in A Complete Unknown. 

What is A Complete Unknown about? There are two clear layers to this “biopic”. You have the life and career of Dylan during the early 1960s after arriving in New York City. Then you see the story of folk music and the community who is not prepared for the musical tsunami that is about to change their music scene permanently. Dylan is certainly an enigma in this film. He is distant and does not allow people to see the man behind the music. This man is now his music. The character of Dylan in A Complete Unknown is “kind of an asshole” (as stated by collaborator and lover Joan Baez). He has no issue stating his perspective but his whole life and experience is centered around his music. There is no down time for him as he is constantly scribbling down lyrics and playing his guitar. His personality is clear that he will be whatever he wants to be and clash again with the pressures of others and society as well. This aspect of his personality is the catalyst for his effects on the folk scene as well as the two romances in his life. So much of this film is focused on the characters’ reactions to Dylan and his music. You have those who see greatness in front of them and are excited to be part of it (Woody Gutherie). You have those excited to see what he specifically does with folk music and hopes to see the world of folk rise to new heights (Pete Seager). You have the woman who is drawn to his music and the potential of his art but conflicts with his obsession with always moving forward which includes from her (Baez). Then there is Sylvie. She is an activist and artist. She is the anchor in Dylan’s life who must realize that she is not resigned to just being part of the circus around Dylan’s music. 

How is Mangold able to leverage his storytelling to flesh out such a dense and fruitful narrative? First off, Mangold is a filmmaker who has a classic feel to what he does. Few films today have that classic studio style of filmmaking where a music biopic can feel like such an event (without jedi, superheroes, or animated creatures). A Complete Unknown fully embraces its time and feels like a film that could have been released in the sixties. The atmosphere is smokey (there are many cigarettes smoked in this film) but crisp and pristine. The cinematography by Phedon Papamichael is perfect. The framing and blocking are evocative. The way characters are introduced is dynamic and builds anticipation and importance to their presence. The lighting is great (especially during the performances with the stage lighting). There is so much texture and personality in every single shot in the film. But it is the visual storytelling that is most impressive. This is not a “musical”. But the story and character work are all done through music performances. Most of the character growth and revelations are expressed through the reaction to other’s performances or embodied in the music performance of those characters. Reaction shots are so important in A Complete Unknown and are so essential to painting the evolution of Dylan as well as the love dynamics and folk music community around him. This is less a film about a man who made great music. A Complete Unknown is a dynamic expression of the power of music and how music can shape culture, spark change, and bring out the deepest feelings of human beings. We see attraction, admiration, pride, fear, hate, and love all expressed in those reaction shots, and they help avoid a script stuffed with exposition (which is powerful). There are some scenes that are just people sitting around discussing the legacy of folk music (which are the least effective scenes in the film) but Mangold is able to avoid that for the most part. 

What are the most powerful moments in the film? You can probably tell…they are the music performances. You learn so much about Dylan from the way he performs. His body language is aloof and small. This is a small statured man who shakes the world when he opens his mouth. His performances are some of the key moments in the whole film. When he plays Gutherie (Scoot McNairy) and Seager (Edward Norton) at the beginning of the film, you can feel the energy in the room. Gutherie and Seager both see the landscape of folk changing right in front of them. Mangold captures that weight through his direction and the performances of his actors. The climax of the whole film is his electric performance at the Newport Folk Music Festival. This is a seismic change in the trajectory of folk music and music in general in the 1960s. The energy during this scene is off the charts. The rising tension with a dozen different characters representing different perspectives is poignant and effective. This performance is one of the strongest cinematic experiences in film this year. The awe, rage, jealousy, pride, and plethora of different emotions are so tangible and affecting. There are other significant performances by Baez (Monica Barbaro), Johnny Cash (Boyd Holbrook), and Seager that deliver impact for what they represent to the audience and the evolution of the music. 

Mangold is certainly creating some cinematic magic with A Complete Unknown but who helps bring all the magic to life? The cast, which is overflowing with talent. Timothee Chalamet is certainly leading the way. Dylan is brought to life in this film in a way that feels well beyond an impression. Chalamet embodies the energy, stature, and presence of Dylan. He is consistently small in how he carries himself, but the rest of his body language invokes a confidence that is unmatched. There is an obvious feeling of disdain whenever Chalamet’s Dylan is put in a situation he does not appreciate or is pushed about his mysterious past. Dylan wears sunglasses a lot (most of the second half of the film) but when Chalamet can act with his eyes, you feel so much from them. Another standout performance in the film is from Barbaro. Reaction shots are so significant (as made abundantly clear before) and the way that Barbaro can express so much from them is incredible. There is a wide range of lust, rage, and conflict that is painted all over her face. We believe her journey with Dylan from a lustful energy for his genius to a rage for what his arrogance and lack of care has done to her. There is one conflict during a duet that is fiery and both actors can express so much in a single scene. Her singing voice is also show-stopping as she is playing one of the most iconic voices in that generation of musicians. Norton is fascinating as a mild-mannered man who has plenty of conflicting feelings about the rising star that is Dylan. You see the pride and hope in Norton’s early scenes. Norton generally does not play characters with tons of joy, but you feel it here (but with a fine tinge of sharpness when needed). His conflict during the climactic concert is one of the most important gears to make that cinematic mechanism come together. McNairy is restricted as Gutherie due to illness, but he is so expressive through his physicality and limited vocalizations. Fanning is one of the most interesting performers in the film as she is the anchor in many of the emotional moments in the film. She must sell the heartbreak of her relationship with Dylan as well as being moved by the weight of his work. Sylvie is the non-musician in the room in a film filled with musicians and she does a great job of presenting a different vibe. There are a few other memorable turns like Holbrook as Cash who is big and swaggering and Dan Fogler who is consistently entertaining to watch whenever he is on screen (even bringing most of the film’s comedic moments). 

What makes A Complete Unknown one of the best films of the year? This is a biopic that transcends the cliches and tropes of a tired genre (Mangold’s own Walk the Line crafted many of those modern tropes) and delivers a musically inclined exploration of themes and ideas. The performances are incredible across the board with plenty of performers who should be getting award consideration (Chalamet, Barbaro, and Norton for sure). Their performances work on an acting level and more impressively on a musical level as well. The production design and costuming are pitch perfect throughout the film. The locations are perfect (I was even in Cape May, NJ during filming which was used for Newport in the film). This is classic filmmaking at its best. A Complete Unknown is a towering achievement of film as a visual and auditory art form. You will be having plenty of Dylan’s songs stuck in your head for weeks to come and this will certainly be at the forefront come Oscar season as well.