The Wasteland Reviewer

The Wasteland Review Request: Velvet Goldmine (1998)

Who is Maxwell Demon? He is Brian Slade. What happened to Brian Slade? That is the mystery of Tod Haynes’ late 90s music drama Velvet Goldmine. The world of music is a creative one full of characters and wild experiences. The 60s into the early 70s were a special time on the British music scene. Flower Power. Drugs. Sexual exploration. Queer culture. This was the perfect canvas for Haynes to explore his cinematic expression during the formative decade of his career. You can feel something special, and connective is on display for Haynes who would later go on to create high profile efforts like Carol and May December.

What works best in Haynes vibrant music drama? The world-building and music for sure. From the opening credits of the film, we realize the exact tone and approach that Haynes is going for. Big purple letters and creative fonts on the screen. Young people express themselves through their clothes, hair, make-up, and the music they listen to. Some of the most impactful moments throughout the film are the music performances with the cast members fully committing to their personas and embodying the musical performances. There is a killer performance of ”20^th Century Boy” which tears the house down. The way these characters bring the styles of the period to life is so impactful and engrossing. There is fluidity and beauty to how the make-up is leveraged to craft stage persona as well as the general expression of these artists. Few films have captured this period so organically and authentically while leveraging it to bring out layers in the characters that fill out this film.

Does Haynes writing match the impressive filmmaking that he brings to Velvet Goldmine? Unfortunately, one of the biggest roadblocks for Velvet Goldmine is in its structure and flow. There is plenty of nonlinear storytelling to slowly peel back layers on the mystery of Brian Slade and Arthur Stuart’s search for this disappeared man. There is certainly intrigue built through this structure, but it also creates a choppy and episodic structure. There are plenty of scenes that stand out for their emotion, conflict, music, and technical aspects but Haynes struggles a bit in wrangling these elements together. There is a bit of distance between the audience and these characters. There are certainly some unexpected connections and conflicts that arise for ample drama. The mystery surrounds Slade is compelling enough to anchor the film and Christan Bale’s Stuart makes for an interesting enough stand-in for the audience to get lost in this fully realized world that Haynes crafted on screen.

Does this stacked cast breathe life into this vibrant cinematic experience? Bale is a generational talent, and it is interesting to see a young version of him (just really hitting adulthood) as this music fan turned journalist. He does get the most material to work with, but he is able to anchor the film down in an effective way. Jonathan Rhys-Meyers is not in the film as much as you might expect (especially starring as the disappearing character of the film) but he does channel the fluidity, charisma, and presence that make Slade such an enigma. The biggest personality in the film and who makes the most lasting impact has to be Ewan McGregor for sure. His portrayal of Curt Wild is filled to the brim with magnetism and electricity. Few actors have captured that feeling of stardom and presence quite like McGregor in Velvet Goldmine. Toni Collette is another talented and magnetic force in the film as she also brings quite a bit of the emotion to the table with her tumultuous relationship with Slade. Eddie Izzard is one of a few other supporting players who truly embodies this era.

Is Velvet Goldmine a must-see music drama? Haynes is a talented filmmaker who has such a specific vision for his work. He can craft a cinematic experience that fully captures the spirit of an era and the power of that era’s music. Velvet Goldmine is as punk rock as you are going to get from a filmmaking perspective. The talented cast brings these impressive personas and characters to life. This is a film filled with great moments, interactions, and emotions. The story might not be the most focused or structured (and that leaves some things to be desired) but Haynes’ vision still shines through.

Special thanks to Carl Kelsch for nominating Velvet Goldmine (1998).