Wong Kar-wai’s In the Mood for Love has a distinct visual style that has evolved from other films. Wong’s style of framing his subjects in doorways and mirrors to emphasize their loneliness originated in Douglas Sirk’s 1955 melodrama All That Heaven Allows. Sirk uses a much more basic version of the framing style that makes In The Mood for Love so effective. The film also closely resembles Ali: Fear Eats the Soul Rainer Fassbinder’s reimagining of Sirk’s film. While the stories in each film are distinct, each shot in a different country at a different time in history, all of the films have an underlying theme in common: All three films are at their core seem to be about relationships and loneliness.
When you look at the three films as a group you get an almost stylistic timeline of modern melodrama. These films were made 20 years apart from one another and each on a different continent. And yet they have so much in common that one cant help but wonder if each director had seen the other’s work. When Douglas Sirk made All That Heaven Allows his work was dismissed. In it’s early days the melodrama had no place in art but by the time Fassbinder came around it began getting some credibility. Ali: Fear Eats the Soul is a direct homage to Fassbinder’s film. Fassbinder simply moved the genre forwards and gave it his own personal touch. By the time In the Mood for Love was made the genre had gained artistic recognition. Wong Kar-wai’s film was nominated for the Palm d’Or at Cannes, a feat that Douglas Sirk never came anywhere near. It’s just interesting to see such an evolution take place in a genre.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
I'm Not There---Ricky Leighton
The film I'm Not There has a reoccurring theme of identity. Through out the film, all of the characters portraying Bob Dylan are questioned about what it's like to be famous and what he thinks of his fans. Dylan's characters usually refrain from answering these questions by mirroring them back to the interviewer.
For example, when Cate Blanchett's character is in the car with the reporter from BBC, he is persistent in asking Dylan these questions and she only replies with a mirrored reflection of the same. The fact that this journalist nags Dylan constantly and seems to get under his skin could possibly be because Dylan was unsure of the answers.When Dylan is exposed in the year book, it appears to humiliate him. It is an example of Dylan having changed from those times. That younger version of him is not who he is now.
Heath Ledgers character also struggled with emotions of being famous and how he might have gotten lost in the world of stardom. Over the course of Dylan's life, he gave a voice to many generations and many people searching for their own true meaning. It would be hard on anyone to take on that responsibility, especially if one is uncertain about their own identity.
Richard Gere's character plays an old Western hero who is attempting to hide his once notorious identity in the woods around an old town. Until his old hunter has sniffed him out in the town and is still on a mission to bring him down. At one point, Gere even states " I don't know who I am most of the time" as he rides away on the escape train.
Perhaps this theme of identity corresponds with Dylan's own true uncertainty in his own life or maybe a message about stars and how they are treated when in reality they are only the same as the rest of us. Either way, the film, though long and drawn out, is successful in portraying this thought.
For example, when Cate Blanchett's character is in the car with the reporter from BBC, he is persistent in asking Dylan these questions and she only replies with a mirrored reflection of the same. The fact that this journalist nags Dylan constantly and seems to get under his skin could possibly be because Dylan was unsure of the answers.When Dylan is exposed in the year book, it appears to humiliate him. It is an example of Dylan having changed from those times. That younger version of him is not who he is now.
Heath Ledgers character also struggled with emotions of being famous and how he might have gotten lost in the world of stardom. Over the course of Dylan's life, he gave a voice to many generations and many people searching for their own true meaning. It would be hard on anyone to take on that responsibility, especially if one is uncertain about their own identity.
Richard Gere's character plays an old Western hero who is attempting to hide his once notorious identity in the woods around an old town. Until his old hunter has sniffed him out in the town and is still on a mission to bring him down. At one point, Gere even states " I don't know who I am most of the time" as he rides away on the escape train.
Perhaps this theme of identity corresponds with Dylan's own true uncertainty in his own life or maybe a message about stars and how they are treated when in reality they are only the same as the rest of us. Either way, the film, though long and drawn out, is successful in portraying this thought.
I'm Not There - Andrew Joffe
Todd Haynes' I'm Not There is a unique portrayal, or more a portrait, of Bob Dylan, using six different characters to represent an aspect of his life. This film's main focus is on Bob Dylan's struggle with identity, by showing the different conflicts that affect each of the characters. Using this storytelling strategy is a way of mystifying Bob Dylan's actual life by making a film that captures his spirit, rather than his chronology.
Robbie, played by Heath Ledger, is a successful actor with a dissolved marriage, children who never see him, and a skewed perspective on women after his fame alienated him. Jack Rollins, son of Ramblin' Jack Elliot, is a folk singer who's message becomes obscured and eventually USED by political parties. He finally denounces them in a drunken monologue at political function, stating that he doesn't write "finger-pointing" songs. Jack Rollins goes on to find God and becomes a singing preacher. Woody, the young, black embodiment of the Dust Bowl Troubadour Woody Guthrie carries with him a guitar that's case reads "This Machine Kills Fascists." Too young and too road-weary, this boy doesn't understand the time he's actually living in, singing songs from a time long passed. Finally the mother of a family that takes him in, convinces him that he should sing about his own time. The character Jude, played by Cate Blanchett represents the Bob Dylan after he went electric. The dramatization shows Jude and his band opening their guitar cases on stage in Newport and instead of instruments, pulling out machine guns and firing on the crowd. He "sells out" and estranges his old fans, becomes jaded and harassed by critics. He's nearly assassinated and is called "Judas" by his audience. Billy the Kid's story seems to come out of nowhere until the relevance of him hiding is brought up by Rimbaud's character, who gives six rules to live by when going into hiding, one of which states "Never create anything. It will be misinterpreted." The idea of hiding is arguably a major theme of this film as it goes hand-in-hand with misconstrued identities.
All six characters in this film contribute, in spirit, different aspects that were significant in defining Bob Dylan's journey through global scope. This variety of lives allows us to gain a grander perspective and more ambiguous understanding of one man, and thusly we are left with the notion that Bob Dylan was a man who had to struggle with his identity.
Robbie, played by Heath Ledger, is a successful actor with a dissolved marriage, children who never see him, and a skewed perspective on women after his fame alienated him. Jack Rollins, son of Ramblin' Jack Elliot, is a folk singer who's message becomes obscured and eventually USED by political parties. He finally denounces them in a drunken monologue at political function, stating that he doesn't write "finger-pointing" songs. Jack Rollins goes on to find God and becomes a singing preacher. Woody, the young, black embodiment of the Dust Bowl Troubadour Woody Guthrie carries with him a guitar that's case reads "This Machine Kills Fascists." Too young and too road-weary, this boy doesn't understand the time he's actually living in, singing songs from a time long passed. Finally the mother of a family that takes him in, convinces him that he should sing about his own time. The character Jude, played by Cate Blanchett represents the Bob Dylan after he went electric. The dramatization shows Jude and his band opening their guitar cases on stage in Newport and instead of instruments, pulling out machine guns and firing on the crowd. He "sells out" and estranges his old fans, becomes jaded and harassed by critics. He's nearly assassinated and is called "Judas" by his audience. Billy the Kid's story seems to come out of nowhere until the relevance of him hiding is brought up by Rimbaud's character, who gives six rules to live by when going into hiding, one of which states "Never create anything. It will be misinterpreted." The idea of hiding is arguably a major theme of this film as it goes hand-in-hand with misconstrued identities.
All six characters in this film contribute, in spirit, different aspects that were significant in defining Bob Dylan's journey through global scope. This variety of lives allows us to gain a grander perspective and more ambiguous understanding of one man, and thusly we are left with the notion that Bob Dylan was a man who had to struggle with his identity.
Mike Curcio-I'm not There
Michael Curcio-I’m Not There
In his Bob Dylan epic, I’m Not There; Todd Haynes portrays the musician as a tragic American paradox through the various characters representing Dylan’s life.
First, Haynes starts the film by showing a young Dylan, Woody Guthrie, travel around rural Midwest America by train perfecting his chops as a folk singer. This grass roots upbringing shows Dylan’s down to earth persona when he was younger, desperately trying to carve a niche for himself as he traveled and experimented with various instruments and techniques. Dylan is shown as the childish Guthrie quite literally because he is portrayed by a young, country boy who gets taken in by a family and eventually has to flee because of his past.
Dylan’s cocky, drug addled, superstar persona is represented by Jude. Jude is a quick to judge, egotistical and rude musician that often speaks his mind even when he should keep his mouth shut. Dylan’s pure American innocence as Guthrie is shattered when Jude spews random slurred insults towards guests at a party. He went from being the underdog with a heart of gold when he was younger to a self-absorbed freak once he garnered some fame and respect for his talent. He managed to push those closest away from him because of his attitude and jaded perspective on life. This was Dylan’s darkest period.
Jack Rollin’s the preacher, shines in the movie as the rebirth of Dylan’s pure and music filled heart. He has abandoned the crudeness of Jude and tried to reach back to his purest time as Woody but realizing, as he’s older, he enlisted the help of the Lord to spread his message fully towards a larger congregation. He reaches his purest point of voice and instrument because Jack Rollins truly takes his time to perform and he is no longer playing for himself, he is playing for God. Bob Dylan’s eventually redemption, which is the quintessential part for any tragic American story, comes through the lord in the character of Jack Rollins.
I'm not there
If I said that the Todd Haynes movie I’m Not There is about Bob Dylan and left it at that, I wouldn’t be lying. I would be selling it short. Todd Haynes broke apart one mans life into several people; the professional him, the personal him, and the fantasy him. In doing so we effectively get a better sense of what went on in each arena of Bob Dylan’s life and how exactly he changed. I’m Not There revolves around character change and how it can affect you for better or worst personally and professionally.
The first profound change in the movie happens to Woody, the little boy who train hops. Why he train hops no one can pin down really. Every time he tells the story it’s something new. What we do know is that Woody lives outside his time. He speaks of the Civil war as if he’s living through it. His songs are about times that have nothing to do with him and his experience either. It takes an older woman to point out his ignorance for him to be pushed into making a change. The older woman says to him very simple words “ Sing about your own time son. Sing about your own time.” This moment is quite obviously a moment of epiphany and the start of a change.
Although we don’t see the effects of that epiphany with little Woody, it affects the next story we are told. Jacks story. He sings about the deepest darkest parts of his war and segregation driven time period. Jacks songs where a soundtrack to an era. But as soon as he knew he was being used he rebelled. At an award ceremony, he told the world that he wasn’t going to be used for an agenda. Yet another turn for the story. If you consider all the characters being pieces of one person, then this is when a true change begins.
Jack stated what he wouldn’t be anymore but Jude made the actual change. He got on stage in front of a crowd of his most loyal political folk music fans, and played rock and roll. They said he sold out. A BBC interviewer even said that he was no longer capable of human emotions. The song Mr. Jones proved the BBC interviewer wrong. The music video like sequence during that song Mr. Jones put the BBC interviewer in the same position as Jude. Caged and labeled. The song proved that Jude did have feelings, but it was obvious by the crowd’s reaction that no one cared about him. It didn’t matter to Jude if even the black panthers where using his music to recruit people, it was his music like how he liked it and he didn’t have to explain to anyone. He made a change, if you didn’t like it then that was tough on you.
Making the connection that although they are different characters they represent one man, then it’s safe to say Robbie represented a personal life. His fame went straight to his head. He was womanizing and always away from his family. His view on the world just became jaded and because of it he lost everything he held dear.
I’m Not There steals bits and pieces of a three-act structure movie. None of the characters by the end of the movie have made a profound jump from where they were when they stared to when they ended. But by linking all the characters together, and understanding that what one character does motivates the other one, you can definitely see the movement that would be taken in three act structure piece.
KellieLynnBruce:I'm Not There
The 2007 film I’m Not There, is a beautiful attempt in understanding the life and mindset of one of America’s most controversial musicians. The director jerks the audience into a formulaic unrealistic world, where many characters are wildly undressed only to express the characteristics of one man we know as Bob Dylan. Despite that most to all the characters are fictional, the director does an amazing job in allowing the audience to feel glimpses of Bob Dylan in each character. Some characters are favored over others. However, the trueness in their actions causes the audience to empathize with each character, like in the case of Robbie the actor, played by the late Heath Ledger. Robbie and his wife are separated and the audience is lead to believe it was do to his egotistic non-attentive attitude. Yet the audience sees Robbie attempt to speak with his wife, but surrounding distractions and bad timing muffles his efforts, these scenes are enhanced by the edit, which does a great job in building tension and anxiety in the audience. That scene allows the option of sympathy to be added to the character, and through his actions we see purity in fear.
The film’s non-subliminal approach to explain how time played a major role in his identities echoed through every aspect in the film. We can visually see that through each character, a different cinematic and sound approach is used to explain both the time and mindset, like in Jack the folk singers character, played by Christian Bale. The scenes involving him are shot like a documentary, just capturing a man trying to find himself and having nothing other than music to identify with. Contrast to Jack there’s Jude the unappreciated rocker, played by Cate Blanchett. The scenes are very stylized, edgy, with most to all visual effects with color, speed, and sound. The construction of the scenes supports Jude’s contradiction to everything including himself in order to stand against a quota that he once belonged to. Each era represented a different time in Bob Dylan’s life. He changed with the time. The director’s non-subliminal film approach may be the best way to begin to understand Bob Dylan and his life identity choices.
The film’s non-subliminal approach to explain how time played a major role in his identities echoed through every aspect in the film. We can visually see that through each character, a different cinematic and sound approach is used to explain both the time and mindset, like in Jack the folk singers character, played by Christian Bale. The scenes involving him are shot like a documentary, just capturing a man trying to find himself and having nothing other than music to identify with. Contrast to Jack there’s Jude the unappreciated rocker, played by Cate Blanchett. The scenes are very stylized, edgy, with most to all visual effects with color, speed, and sound. The construction of the scenes supports Jude’s contradiction to everything including himself in order to stand against a quota that he once belonged to. Each era represented a different time in Bob Dylan’s life. He changed with the time. The director’s non-subliminal film approach may be the best way to begin to understand Bob Dylan and his life identity choices.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
"Time will prove everything"
As a fan that appreciates and listens to the music by the musician Bob Dylan, yet had not seen the film, I'm Not There, I was not expecting the film to turn out how it did. It was one of those movies for me where I was shook after it ended and really didn’t know what to think at first. There was so much going on amongst the several key characters in the film I could not put 2 and 2 together. It was different; it was a style I was not use to.
However, as much as I did not understand the film, I finally came to realization that Todd Haynes was trying to capture the same essence within the six characters that all portrayed Bob Dylan. In the film, not one of the characters had an understanding of what was happening within their life and also where life was taking them.
Bob Dylan lived quite a ridiculous life of renown in his early days and continues to such a life, now just a little more aged. Dylan endured his life day by day, living each day a little different than the previous. No one could understand him or keep up with his kind of lifestyle that changed each day. In the film, each character casted a different time period of Dylan’s life. One of the characters that depicted him was the outlaw, Billy the kid. The outlaw on the run ended the movie with a quote after he escaped from everything saying, “I don't know who I am most of the time. It's like you got yesterday, today and tomorrow all in the same room. There's no telling what can happen." That completed the entirety of Bob Dylan.
Hayne’s interpretation and meaning for the periods of time can only be completely established if you really know what Bob Dylan’s state of mind of each character was about. The mysterious vibe of the famous musician life was certainly documented, as it should be in this film.
However, as much as I did not understand the film, I finally came to realization that Todd Haynes was trying to capture the same essence within the six characters that all portrayed Bob Dylan. In the film, not one of the characters had an understanding of what was happening within their life and also where life was taking them.
Bob Dylan lived quite a ridiculous life of renown in his early days and continues to such a life, now just a little more aged. Dylan endured his life day by day, living each day a little different than the previous. No one could understand him or keep up with his kind of lifestyle that changed each day. In the film, each character casted a different time period of Dylan’s life. One of the characters that depicted him was the outlaw, Billy the kid. The outlaw on the run ended the movie with a quote after he escaped from everything saying, “I don't know who I am most of the time. It's like you got yesterday, today and tomorrow all in the same room. There's no telling what can happen." That completed the entirety of Bob Dylan.
Hayne’s interpretation and meaning for the periods of time can only be completely established if you really know what Bob Dylan’s state of mind of each character was about. The mysterious vibe of the famous musician life was certainly documented, as it should be in this film.
I'm Not There - Sean Mulhearn
The ordinary biopic will choose to chart the few major events in the subject's life and manufacture a plot around it in order to consolidate and define that person. Todd Hayne's film, I'm Not There, however, uses six actors with six very different identities that meander through interweaving, or sometimes even contradictory, story lines. Todd Hayne's biopic of Dylan, then, might not serve to define him, but rather to distort that definition and instead manifest the ambiguity that became a signature of Dylan's.
The lack of distinction between which aspects of which characters are inspired by true events in Dylan's life and those that are most likely indirectly revealing a piece of his personality further serve the overarching theme of an enigmatic identity. Roles such as Cate Blanchett's clearly are meant to recreate the mannerisms, appearance, and even some of the events of Dylan's life, while there are other roles such as Woody Guthrie or Billy the Kid that seem to possess no sincere conformity to the likeness of Dylan initially, but eventually prove to be at least providing insight into some part of him.
The contradictory characters and the chaotic plot of this biopic may be better described as the opposite of a biopic, because the final product of Todd Haynes' film ultimately insists on blurring anything we thought we knew about Bob Dylan, rather than clarifying it. After all, at the end of the film Cate Blanchett's character, the most rebellious and enigmatic of the six, insists that "everyone knows I'm not a folk singer": defying the one label every Dylan fan has always assumed they could place on him.
I’m Not There: A Film By Todd Haynes
Todd Haynes film Im Not There is more than just your average biopic about a famous musician. The film traces the life of folk artist Bob Dylan through the portrayals of six different characters: Jude, Arthur, Jack, Billy, and Woody. The characters reflect stages in Dylan’s life and career, without directly referencing him. The film does not follow any chronological timeline, and we seem to jump from character to character. The film depicts the different characters that make up Bob Dylan in an effort to represent who the singer is, a man who has no true one identity.
The film starts with the character of Woody, a young man who carries a guitar case with the words, “This machine kills fascists” emblazoned on it. Woody travels and lodges with different people, and does not seem to have a back story as to who he is. What we learn of Woody is of what he tells the various characters in the film, which the audience does not know to be fact or fiction. However, it is revealed that Woody has escaped from some type of home for children and is on the run, a fact he never mentions in the film. He is a travelling man who the audience is unable to get close to, because we are unable to figure out his motivation, his past, or hope for the future. Woody just is.
The character of Arthur is filmed in front of a blank white screen. He serves as a sort of narrator, and has scenes dispersed throughout the film. He is supposed to represent the author Arthur Rimbaud, who Bob Dylan idolized. During the film he rambles poetry. The blank white screen, as well as Arthur’s monologues are used to convey a sense of ambiguity that seem to hover around the different characters.
The character of Jack focuses on the folk era and born again Christian aspects of Bob Dylan’s life. In the film Jack is a folk singer who sings protest songs that seem to effect people. There is a clip of Jack being interviewed where he is hunched over his guitar, and seemingly extremely shy and introverted. However, there is a scene at a dinner where he receives an award, he is clearly drunk and brazen with the press. We are shown two different sides of one character, without knowing who the character is. The effect of his music is told through interview styled segments of people who know him. The viewer is never able to understand who Jack is because he is never given a clear picture as to what motivates his actions.
The character of Jude Quinn seems to be in a war with the press. Jude taunts the press in his interviews with his ambiguity, never really giving a straight answer to any question. The sincerity behind the music he sings comes to question with his fans and the media. This is the first time a clear antagonist is presented in the film, in the form of Keenan Jones a news reporter. Jones pursuit for the real Jude behind the sunglasses and music leads him to question Jude’s motivations and beliefs, as well as his past. Jude represents Bob Dylan’s departure from folk music into electric, a time when Dylan lost many supporters. Later in the film Jones reveals the real Jude as a young Jewish man hailing from a middle class family, and dispels the mystique surrounding Jude Quinn. This revelation to the world sends Jude into a drug induced binge. He passes out in a bathroom where his friends surround him, as he lay half conscious on the floor. The character of Allen Ginsberg says, “He’s been in so many psyches”, referring to the different characters he has become in his life.
The character of Billy represents the older more withdrawn Bob Dylan. He ironically lives in a town ironically called: Riddle. This represents the riddle that is Bob Dylan, a man who is hard to explain. In the film Billy stands up for the town of Riddle, which is on the verge of being destroyed by the character of Pat Garrett who also plays Keenan Jones. Garrett seems to recognize Billy. This is in reference to the feud between Jones and Jude. Billy stands up for the town of Riddle and seems to rekindle the sense of protest that he had lost with the Jude character. However, throughout the film we do not get a sense of who Billy is. We see his everyday routine, and his relationship with his dog. However, Billy as with the rest of the characters seems to live in a world of mystery and distance.
At the end of the film Billy has a quote that sums up the movie in a nutshell, “People are always talking about freedom, and how to live a certain way. ‘Course the more you live a certain way, the less it feels like freedom. Me? I can change during the course of a day. When I wake, I’m one person; when I go to sleep I know for certain I’m somebody else. I don’t know who I am most of the time. Its like you got yesterday, today and tomorrow all in the same room. There’s no telling what’s going to happen.”
By Ashley Akunna
The film starts with the character of Woody, a young man who carries a guitar case with the words, “This machine kills fascists” emblazoned on it. Woody travels and lodges with different people, and does not seem to have a back story as to who he is. What we learn of Woody is of what he tells the various characters in the film, which the audience does not know to be fact or fiction. However, it is revealed that Woody has escaped from some type of home for children and is on the run, a fact he never mentions in the film. He is a travelling man who the audience is unable to get close to, because we are unable to figure out his motivation, his past, or hope for the future. Woody just is.
The character of Arthur is filmed in front of a blank white screen. He serves as a sort of narrator, and has scenes dispersed throughout the film. He is supposed to represent the author Arthur Rimbaud, who Bob Dylan idolized. During the film he rambles poetry. The blank white screen, as well as Arthur’s monologues are used to convey a sense of ambiguity that seem to hover around the different characters.
The character of Jack focuses on the folk era and born again Christian aspects of Bob Dylan’s life. In the film Jack is a folk singer who sings protest songs that seem to effect people. There is a clip of Jack being interviewed where he is hunched over his guitar, and seemingly extremely shy and introverted. However, there is a scene at a dinner where he receives an award, he is clearly drunk and brazen with the press. We are shown two different sides of one character, without knowing who the character is. The effect of his music is told through interview styled segments of people who know him. The viewer is never able to understand who Jack is because he is never given a clear picture as to what motivates his actions.
The character of Jude Quinn seems to be in a war with the press. Jude taunts the press in his interviews with his ambiguity, never really giving a straight answer to any question. The sincerity behind the music he sings comes to question with his fans and the media. This is the first time a clear antagonist is presented in the film, in the form of Keenan Jones a news reporter. Jones pursuit for the real Jude behind the sunglasses and music leads him to question Jude’s motivations and beliefs, as well as his past. Jude represents Bob Dylan’s departure from folk music into electric, a time when Dylan lost many supporters. Later in the film Jones reveals the real Jude as a young Jewish man hailing from a middle class family, and dispels the mystique surrounding Jude Quinn. This revelation to the world sends Jude into a drug induced binge. He passes out in a bathroom where his friends surround him, as he lay half conscious on the floor. The character of Allen Ginsberg says, “He’s been in so many psyches”, referring to the different characters he has become in his life.
The character of Billy represents the older more withdrawn Bob Dylan. He ironically lives in a town ironically called: Riddle. This represents the riddle that is Bob Dylan, a man who is hard to explain. In the film Billy stands up for the town of Riddle, which is on the verge of being destroyed by the character of Pat Garrett who also plays Keenan Jones. Garrett seems to recognize Billy. This is in reference to the feud between Jones and Jude. Billy stands up for the town of Riddle and seems to rekindle the sense of protest that he had lost with the Jude character. However, throughout the film we do not get a sense of who Billy is. We see his everyday routine, and his relationship with his dog. However, Billy as with the rest of the characters seems to live in a world of mystery and distance.
At the end of the film Billy has a quote that sums up the movie in a nutshell, “People are always talking about freedom, and how to live a certain way. ‘Course the more you live a certain way, the less it feels like freedom. Me? I can change during the course of a day. When I wake, I’m one person; when I go to sleep I know for certain I’m somebody else. I don’t know who I am most of the time. Its like you got yesterday, today and tomorrow all in the same room. There’s no telling what’s going to happen.”
By Ashley Akunna
Thoughts on I'm Not There
In the most basic sense, Todd Haynes’ film “I’m Not There” could be called an overly complicated biographical film focused on Bob Dylan. But to leave the evaluation of this film in its most basic form would greatly betray it. As, despite being a biographic representation of Mr. Dylan’s life and career, “I’m Not There” also serves as a commentary on one of the largest components in the human psyche: Identity.
Identity is discussed and focused upon in many ways throughout the film, the first being Todd Haynes feelings on his subject matter, Bob Dylan. It is apparent throughout the film that Todd Haynes believes Mr. Dylan has some sort of insight into human nature, much like most greatly lauded poets and authors. Todd Haynes believes that Dylan has experienced and thought enough about life to be able to ‘get into someone else’s shoes’ and that Mr. Dylan has in fact purposely and accidentally done this through his songs and the path of his career. It is this belief of the Director that drives the rest of the film, and brings up the focus on identity.
Literally, Todd Haynes chooses to depict a biography of Bob Dylan’s career without mentioning the man once. Instead, the various phases of Mr. Dylan’s psyche and life are represented by a myriad of rebellious, confused, conflicted, and some times unsavory characters. Each of these characters, although containing several core differences from each other, are all linked to each other by the questioning of ‘Identity’ that surrounds and eludes them.
In addition, none of these characters’ narratives are told in a normal manner, instead being subjected to kaleidoscopic jumps and cuts from character to character, narrative to narrative, presentation to presentation. In this way, Todd Haynes creates a nebulous tale in which nothing is ever certain and the viewer must constantly question and try in vain to identify; much like the characters on screen.
The film is driven by the question of identity as rich and famous characters are constantly interrogated as to where their thoughts lie, and how they should be viewed. The characters themselves have no real idea how they should be identified, and if they do, their own definition of themselves is constantly being overthrown by narrative events. As such, the characters end up scorning their fans and families, all of whom seek to identify with the famous main characters, sending the main characters into a scramble to ‘hide’ themselves and to hide their own inability to identify themselves.
What most of the main characters fail to realize is that they, their fans, their families, Bob Dylan, and the viewers can only be identified by one adjective: fallible. In this way, Todd Haynes presents and insinuates Mr. Dylan’s earned insight into humanity, bringing his fascination with Bob Dylan, and his belief in Mr. Dylan’s experiences full circle and to the screen.
I'm Not There- Kathryn Warburton
The film I'm Not There is supposed to reflect Bob Dylan and the ideas he stood for. It wouldn't be right to say that this film is about his life, because the movie displays so many different characters that each have their own unique story. Dylan enthusiasts could point out the many allusions to his life, but regardless, it is apparent that the film is about so much more. It is about how music can affect society and how society affects musicians. It is about freedom of speech, ideas, and action. It is about the many sides of Dylan, and how not one person could see them all.
To take Richard Gere's character, Billy the Kid, as an example, he was free to live his life as he wanted, so long as he stayed clear of the public eye and their influence. He lived unaffected by society because he chose to do so. One could make the argument that Bob Dylan also tried to live part of his life that way, so as to not be too affected by society, and to have freedom to write about what he wished.
Cate Blanchett's character, Jude Quinn, could be a good example of how Bob Dylan tried to live his life in the eyes of the public. Quinn was constantly under the scrutiny of the public. Everything he said or did was placed under a microscope. Nevertheless, Quinn gave himself his own freedom to say and do whatever he pleased. Was it director Todd Haynes intention to use these characters as the different sides of Bob Dylan? You'd have to ask him.
I'm Not There
Todd Haynes film, “I’m Not There” is obviously meant to depict the life and different aspects of Bob Dylan as an artist, musician, poet, activist and human being. After viewing the film it is apparent that there is a constant theme of freedom throughout it. Haynes shows the film through the eyes of various characters, all of which whom represent a different part of Dylan’s life. Each of these characters struggles for freedom in one way or another, whether it be from their physical surroundings and environment or mentally.
Woody, the young man who is travelling with his passion and love of music, is struggling to find his identity in an almost unidentifiable world. He is looking for a chance at freedom through his music (his guitar case reads: This machine kills fascists.) He is misunderstood by the black family who takes him in and certainly misunderstood and lost amongst the bums that he finds himself travelling across the country with. He is simply look for an outlet for his emotions and finds one through music. His story centers on his search for freedom racially, and socially. The young Woody longs to be free to live and play his music freely.
Cate Blanchett’s portrayal of a 1960s version of Dylan is a unique view on his struggle as an artist and a political activist. It was during this time that Dylan was criticized for being a traitor, a sell-out and a betrayer by his fans and critics alike. “Jude” is searching for an artist and a human’s given rights and freedom to express or not express as he wishes. Audiences were truly disappointed and felt betrayed by Jude’s change in style, all the while Dylan is just trying to be free enough to be all that he knows how: himself. Shot in black and white, each scene with Jude clearly depicts an artist desperately trying to be free enough to be true to who he actually is, all the while he tries to uncover just who that is.
Richard Gere as Billy the Kid is the most obvious character that depicts the movie’s theme of longing for freedom. An outlaw, looking to save his town from dictators and railroad tycoons, Billy lives a life of isolation. Despite spending most of his time with his symbolic and only companion, Henry the dog, Billy is not any freer than the average person. Once he becomes aware of the growing problem in town and the risk of losing all true freedom, Billy flees via train. Each scene in which Billy appears there is an obvious theme of freedom: the longing for it as well as the fight for it. This character more than any other clearly exhibits the painful and difficult fight for freedom at any cost.
Haynes used an unconventional style of story telling but the similarities and symbolism is apparent in each scene. While it is essentially the life and story of Bob Dylan, it is told through various characters that represent a different aspect of the artists’ life.
Dominic Lee: I'm Not There- Dir Todd Haynes
There are different ways to tell a story; in this case director Todd Haynes chose a multi-dimensional, fragmented form of storytelling in the Bob Dylan documentary " I'm Not There". He does this by using multiple characters to, in my interpretation, show the different trials and aspects of Bob Dylan's life and career, and also in a way gives life to some of the fantasy and questions Dylan had to probably face in his career and how he felt.
The runnaway youth, the charasimatic turned somber musician, The actor who has everything but nothing, the hermit, the addicit; it's easy to see where the plot goes as soon as you understand that aspect of the film, but the parts that interest's me the most was the cinematography. To effectively pull off each character and get the viewer into the frame of mind that each character is in, while cutting all this up into segmentes, and then placing each segment into a not so random order, is to me a beautiful accomplishment that does the film justice.
The black and white life of the musician who has become a sellout in the eye's of the fans, The wild west type setting for the hermit, who has in a way become an outlaw in the metaphorical sense (until he literally does in the end), the musician and the poet chastising and mocking the statue of the crusifix, the portrayal of the journalist in the circus cage replacing the musician; settings like those and the way they were shot, stood out to me as a way to make what may seem to some confusing and drawn out, worthwhile.
The runnaway youth, the charasimatic turned somber musician, The actor who has everything but nothing, the hermit, the addicit; it's easy to see where the plot goes as soon as you understand that aspect of the film, but the parts that interest's me the most was the cinematography. To effectively pull off each character and get the viewer into the frame of mind that each character is in, while cutting all this up into segmentes, and then placing each segment into a not so random order, is to me a beautiful accomplishment that does the film justice.
The black and white life of the musician who has become a sellout in the eye's of the fans, The wild west type setting for the hermit, who has in a way become an outlaw in the metaphorical sense (until he literally does in the end), the musician and the poet chastising and mocking the statue of the crusifix, the portrayal of the journalist in the circus cage replacing the musician; settings like those and the way they were shot, stood out to me as a way to make what may seem to some confusing and drawn out, worthwhile.
I'm Not There
In a time where the industry is flooded with music biopics, "I'm Not There" comes as a refreshing, if not confusing breath of air. By no means a coherent biopic of Bob Dylan’s life, Haynes film decides to show us an artist and his various identities, and what his work means to others. A true cinematic challenge, Haynes has made a maddening collage of a mysterious and often illusive artist that makes various thrilling shifts in mise en scene that spans through acting, camera work and cinematography. "I'm Not There" proves to be an interesting departure for Haynes, whose more mainstream work like his Douglas Sirk-esque opus "Far From Heaven" has been his current mainstay. This feels more like his early work like the highly controversial "Poison" in the fact that both of them blur the lines of documentary and fiction, while still existing in a peculiar cinematic universe filled with poetic images and harsh realities. Haynes decides early on to have various actors and one actress portray Bob Dylan (not unlike Todd Solondz in his coldly received "Palindromes.") The film begins with a small black child named Woody, who feels misplaced in the early 1960’s playing folksy protest songs and obsessing over Woodie Guthrie, who he eventually meets dying in a hospital. He represents a youthful; ambitious Dylan who feels misplaced in his own time but continuously thrives, even making his way into another time period later into the film. He even plays a Chaplin-like figure that comes to Greenwich Village by storm, yet this scene was eventually cut out of the film.
The rest of Dylan’s representations deal with transition and change. In a medium like Rock and Roll, changing and thriving in one generation to the next is essential to surviving as an artist. Nobody understands this more than Haynes, who makes this the underlining theme of the film. Heath Ledgers character perhaps makes the largest spanning change. A rebellious bad boy who starts out as a kitschy folk singer, he eventually shifts into a jaded celebrity disillusioned by fame and uncertain of how to deal with the family he has left behind, eventually converting to Christianity, not unlike Dylan back in the late seventies and eighties. But Blanchetts portrayal is by all means the most fascinating extension of his identity. In one of her most weirdly endearing performances of her career, Blanchett’s Dylan is androgynous, asexual, sponging in the newly exploding counter culture in all its drug-addled glory. Her Dylan is not man or woman, but an object to be seen with and idolized, a weapon of a confused generation. This Dylan is also confused by his burgeoning fame, confronting one idolizing fan and observer after another. The transition from color to black and white makes this disillusionment clear, since a good deal of it is a tribute to Feline’s 8 ½, which also evolves around a main character uncertain of how to take their fame and fortune.
Richard Gere’s character is not necessarily an extension of Dylan, but a representation of Dylan’s musical mythology. Symbolism and imagery from Dylan’s own lyrics are sprinkled throughout, especially in the sequence where his character visits a town where everyday is Halloween.
Is Hayne’s “I’m Not There” a perfect film? Of course not. One could even be as bold to say it’s pretentious, having the mendacity to portray Dylan as an immaculate god-like artist. But all of these personal criticisms aside, it’s a refreshing step back from testosterone ridden summer blockbusters and cookie cutter Biopics of the past couple of years.
The rest of Dylan’s representations deal with transition and change. In a medium like Rock and Roll, changing and thriving in one generation to the next is essential to surviving as an artist. Nobody understands this more than Haynes, who makes this the underlining theme of the film. Heath Ledgers character perhaps makes the largest spanning change. A rebellious bad boy who starts out as a kitschy folk singer, he eventually shifts into a jaded celebrity disillusioned by fame and uncertain of how to deal with the family he has left behind, eventually converting to Christianity, not unlike Dylan back in the late seventies and eighties. But Blanchetts portrayal is by all means the most fascinating extension of his identity. In one of her most weirdly endearing performances of her career, Blanchett’s Dylan is androgynous, asexual, sponging in the newly exploding counter culture in all its drug-addled glory. Her Dylan is not man or woman, but an object to be seen with and idolized, a weapon of a confused generation. This Dylan is also confused by his burgeoning fame, confronting one idolizing fan and observer after another. The transition from color to black and white makes this disillusionment clear, since a good deal of it is a tribute to Feline’s 8 ½, which also evolves around a main character uncertain of how to take their fame and fortune.
Richard Gere’s character is not necessarily an extension of Dylan, but a representation of Dylan’s musical mythology. Symbolism and imagery from Dylan’s own lyrics are sprinkled throughout, especially in the sequence where his character visits a town where everyday is Halloween.
Is Hayne’s “I’m Not There” a perfect film? Of course not. One could even be as bold to say it’s pretentious, having the mendacity to portray Dylan as an immaculate god-like artist. But all of these personal criticisms aside, it’s a refreshing step back from testosterone ridden summer blockbusters and cookie cutter Biopics of the past couple of years.
Me And You And Everyone We Know.
Me And You And Everyone We Know.
In my opinion, this is a film that expresses through its plot and cinematography the awkwardness of human beings in relationships,as it tries to expose our inability to engage or act in a certain level of intimacy without some kind of filter or barrier. These "barriers", are what I think Miranda July places the most focus on in her film, as throughout the movie they can be noted, such as the importance of technology,shown through the innocent but almost obsessive relationship between Robby and the person of the chat room, and the importance of the "intangible", such as a persons opinion, which is heavily shown through the two girls and peter, and even Richard and Andrew.
In the beginning of the film the first thing the viewer interacts with is the image of what appears to be a man and woman looking out at a beautiful sunset at the beach; a romantic setting, with a romantic dialogue, or monologue as we realize when the movie progresses to the introduction of the main character in the most awkward way imaginable, just an example of the way the movie takes advantage of what is typically perceived and shows it in an uncomfortable yet still generic way.
In my opinion, this is a film that expresses through its plot and cinematography the awkwardness of human beings in relationships,as it tries to expose our inability to engage or act in a certain level of intimacy without some kind of filter or barrier. These "barriers", are what I think Miranda July places the most focus on in her film, as throughout the movie they can be noted, such as the importance of technology,shown through the innocent but almost obsessive relationship between Robby and the person of the chat room, and the importance of the "intangible", such as a persons opinion, which is heavily shown through the two girls and peter, and even Richard and Andrew.
In the beginning of the film the first thing the viewer interacts with is the image of what appears to be a man and woman looking out at a beautiful sunset at the beach; a romantic setting, with a romantic dialogue, or monologue as we realize when the movie progresses to the introduction of the main character in the most awkward way imaginable, just an example of the way the movie takes advantage of what is typically perceived and shows it in an uncomfortable yet still generic way.
Im Not There
Kyle Rollins-
Todd Haynes "Im Not There," is not a biopic of Bob Dylan but rather it is more of a homage to Dylan as a songwriter, poet, and musician. The six characters in the film represent different aspects of Bob Dylans personality career and psyche. Haynes decision to use six different characters to represent different aspects of Dylans career and character was a wise decision. This approach allowed Haynes to explore the magic of Dylans many lives, which he treats with great imagination. It is a known fact that Woody Guthrie is Bob Dylans inspiration and musical Idol.
Todd Haynes using an 11- year old personification of the Guthrie smitten young Dylan was a interesting choice that worked because it was a direct tribute to Woody Guthrie and how Bob Dylan was influenced by Guthrie. (well in this case Marcus Franklins character) We are then introduced to a man who shares the same name as 19th century poet Arthur Rimbaud. Rimbaud was an influence in Dylans poetry and music such as"You're Gonna Make Me Loneseome When You Go." Even though Arthur Rimbaud was not a huge part of the film, whenever we saw him he seemed to set the tone for the next scene with a famous quote. Bob Dylan isan American icon because his music served as anthems and protests songs during the Civil Rights movement. The Jack Rollins character personified how powerful and influential Bob Dylans music was especially during times of hardship such as the Civil Rights Movement. Jack Rollins becoming a preacher and performing the song "Pressing On," was a direct allusion to the gospel influenced album Dylan made called "Saved."
Heath Ledgers character Robbie Clark is a glimpse into what Bob Dylans personal love life was like. This chapter depicts the highs and lows of Dylans relationships from the time Robbie met Claire to when they filed for the divorce that invloved a legal quarrel of custody of the children and this is a reference to the real life divorce Bob Dylan went through with his first wife Sara.
The most complex and interesting character in the film is Jude Quinn portrayed by Cate Blanchett. Jude Quinn represents the controversial aspect of Dylans character that many people resented. Jude Quinn is the rebellious free thinking aspect of Dylans character that is against conformity and doing what he is told when he is told. The Jude Quinn character is on a downward spiral and is on the brink of burning out and we see this when Jude is laying on the floor. Tom Haynes casting Cate Blanchett was a phenomenal decision and the events of this character were as close to biographical as one can get. The last character and aspect of Bob Dylan is represented by Richard Gere's character "Billy The Kid." This depiction represents a legendary outlaw who wants out of the spotlight. Billy The Kid hops on a freight and finds Woody's guitar symbolizing escape and a creative rebirth in a sense.
After Bob Dylan had his motorcycle accident, he said he had realized that we was working for leeches and he didnt want to do it anymore. The accident allowed Bob the chance to escape the pressure that had built up around him. After the accident, Bob Dylan withdrew from the public and did not tour again for eight years. Tom Haynes was able to convey all that is Bob Dylan in this film and "Im Not There" is a true work of art that is unique and unlike any other films portraying American icons.
Reviewing "I'm Not There" by Deanna Clark
In Tom Haynes film, "I'm Not There" characters struggle with identity and use certain genres of music to identify themselves with as a means of escaping the demands and expectations of society. The film uses music as a forefront for social politics and represents a new found identity for most characters. Several characters are shown to be tied to a specific genre of music which represents their inner-being and outer desires. They cling to their style of music, as other characters they encounter question their reasoning to do so. This is reflected through the films structure, and the dramatic needs of Jack Rollins and the journey of Woody.
The film's dramatic structure seems to combine both elements of conventional film as well as those of a documentary. Although there are several storylines that thread the film, there were also parts portrayed as mock interviews and commentaries by people who knew Jack Rollins for instance. One title screen that appears in the film, says "A view of the world belonging to one generation". Throughout the movie, Haynes portrays different groups of people who stand behind the music that they thought best described their inner feelings about their life or the flaws of society. That specific title suggests that the supporters of Jack Rollins music, were strong believers in the message behind it, and identified with the music as their message to their society.
Looking at Woody's character who was always on the run from place to place was seemingly using his blues music as his identity. His guitar almost immediately becomes symbolic of his connection to his music, thusly being the drive of his passion to play and sing. However, when he encounters a female character who questions his reasoning to want to play music that is beyond his age, he has no explanation and ends up leaving.
Jack Rollins character also experiences identity issues with his fans who identify with the music he performs early on, but later in the film his fans become angry with changes that he has made in his music, and his desires to no longer write music that protests the issues they once did. However, he still sticks to his new found identity in music although people start to hate him and he losese supporters. He is called a traitor and accused of conforming to societal premises. In short, music seems to take on several responsiblities in the film, being used as identity, as well as a political tool for those wanting to speak out against the atrocities of society and a way of escapism from the expectations of ones peers.
The film's dramatic structure seems to combine both elements of conventional film as well as those of a documentary. Although there are several storylines that thread the film, there were also parts portrayed as mock interviews and commentaries by people who knew Jack Rollins for instance. One title screen that appears in the film, says "A view of the world belonging to one generation". Throughout the movie, Haynes portrays different groups of people who stand behind the music that they thought best described their inner feelings about their life or the flaws of society. That specific title suggests that the supporters of Jack Rollins music, were strong believers in the message behind it, and identified with the music as their message to their society.
Looking at Woody's character who was always on the run from place to place was seemingly using his blues music as his identity. His guitar almost immediately becomes symbolic of his connection to his music, thusly being the drive of his passion to play and sing. However, when he encounters a female character who questions his reasoning to want to play music that is beyond his age, he has no explanation and ends up leaving.
Jack Rollins character also experiences identity issues with his fans who identify with the music he performs early on, but later in the film his fans become angry with changes that he has made in his music, and his desires to no longer write music that protests the issues they once did. However, he still sticks to his new found identity in music although people start to hate him and he losese supporters. He is called a traitor and accused of conforming to societal premises. In short, music seems to take on several responsiblities in the film, being used as identity, as well as a political tool for those wanting to speak out against the atrocities of society and a way of escapism from the expectations of ones peers.
There are many possible interpretations of Haynes’ film “ I’m Not There” and, while it is clear that it is inspired by the various aspects of Bob Dylan’s life and the events surrounding it there are also many unexplored aspects of the film that are left to the reader’s imagination. While it is clear cut that some of the character’s represent different facets of Dylan’s actual life, (Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett and Heath Ledger’s characters in particular) other characters that seem to exist outside the scope of Dylan’s factual life (Woody Guthrie and Billy the Kid) prove to be much more of a mystery regarding interpretation of the film. I believe that the characters serve as windows into the inner psyche of Bob Dylan, rather than mere reinterpretations of his life, and allow us to look at Dylan from different perspectives rather than just the events of his life.
The first character we are introduced to in the film is a young boy who calls himself Woody Guthrie, after the famous folk singer, a runaway and musician who rides the rails. The character is connected to the real life Bob Dylan by a fascination with the singer and represents perhaps what Dylan wishes his childhood had been, rather than growing up as part of the suburban middle class. A major plot point in the Jude Quinn portion of the film is the revelation of Quinn’s childhood as growing up upper middle class rather than the mystery shrouded childhood Quinn wanted audiences to believe he had, connecting Quinn (and Dylan) to the Guthrie portion of the film.
The final character the film includes is Richard Gere portraying a fictionalized version of outlaw Billy the Kid, presumably after escaping Pat Garrett (interestingly portrayed by the same actor who had exposed Quinn’s upper middle class heritage) and setting up a new life for himself. This aspect of Dylan’s life reflects his long time identification with the outlaw both within the film and in real life and also reflects his desire to remain outside the spotlight, symbolized in the film by Billy the Kid’s going into hiding.
The first character we are introduced to in the film is a young boy who calls himself Woody Guthrie, after the famous folk singer, a runaway and musician who rides the rails. The character is connected to the real life Bob Dylan by a fascination with the singer and represents perhaps what Dylan wishes his childhood had been, rather than growing up as part of the suburban middle class. A major plot point in the Jude Quinn portion of the film is the revelation of Quinn’s childhood as growing up upper middle class rather than the mystery shrouded childhood Quinn wanted audiences to believe he had, connecting Quinn (and Dylan) to the Guthrie portion of the film.
The final character the film includes is Richard Gere portraying a fictionalized version of outlaw Billy the Kid, presumably after escaping Pat Garrett (interestingly portrayed by the same actor who had exposed Quinn’s upper middle class heritage) and setting up a new life for himself. This aspect of Dylan’s life reflects his long time identification with the outlaw both within the film and in real life and also reflects his desire to remain outside the spotlight, symbolized in the film by Billy the Kid’s going into hiding.
The film "I'm Not There" is an examination of Bob Dylan's life and career through the different stages of his personal and professional development and what he represented in these different stages. I would also argue that the film demonstrates the aspirations and goals Dylan personally had during these stages of his life.
The little boy represents Dylan's beginnings from his childhood to his emergence as his own man. The boy is portrayed as a complete outcast from his own and on the run from his roots. He seems aloof from society, yet has the capacity to understand the dilemmas and issues in his time in a very profound way. The boy assumes the identity of famous folk musician Woody Guthrie, who in reality was one of Dylan's biggest influences and passions. The boy is even African American to further show how disconnected Dylan felt from his roots and place in the world. He is searching for his own identity and his own voice.
Jack Rollins is the identity that Dylan finally developed and choose to show the world. He applied the lessons that folk music and Woody Guthrie had shown him and made them relevant to the present state of humanity. He became an icon, a poet and artist, and a voice of the people. But soon the pressure of this began to deteriorate his passion and desire.
Jude and Heath Ledger's characters now appear and they both struggle with who they are, who the world thinks they are, and who they want to be. They cannot satisfy both themselves and the mass fans they have acquired. Both characters are selfish and naive to just how much power they have in a controversial society. People call this the "sell out" phase of Dylan's life, but I think its more a phase of his confusion for his role and continued desire on the path he has chosen. The fact that a woman, Cate Blanchet, also plays the roll of Dylan at this stage seems to only enhance the confusion of Dylan's identity and truthfulness to himself.
An old and worn out Billy the Kid now takes the roll of the present day Dylan. Once again aloof and on the run, he assumes a fake identity and is thought to be dead by most. Once a legendary and famous gunslinger, his life now revolves around staying hidden and enjoying the small things he has left in life. This speaks to Dylan in a way, who has distanced himself from society more and more over the years. A legend as big as Billy the Kid, he has somewhat closed the book on that life and seeks refuge away from the limelight.
The little boy represents Dylan's beginnings from his childhood to his emergence as his own man. The boy is portrayed as a complete outcast from his own and on the run from his roots. He seems aloof from society, yet has the capacity to understand the dilemmas and issues in his time in a very profound way. The boy assumes the identity of famous folk musician Woody Guthrie, who in reality was one of Dylan's biggest influences and passions. The boy is even African American to further show how disconnected Dylan felt from his roots and place in the world. He is searching for his own identity and his own voice.
Jack Rollins is the identity that Dylan finally developed and choose to show the world. He applied the lessons that folk music and Woody Guthrie had shown him and made them relevant to the present state of humanity. He became an icon, a poet and artist, and a voice of the people. But soon the pressure of this began to deteriorate his passion and desire.
Jude and Heath Ledger's characters now appear and they both struggle with who they are, who the world thinks they are, and who they want to be. They cannot satisfy both themselves and the mass fans they have acquired. Both characters are selfish and naive to just how much power they have in a controversial society. People call this the "sell out" phase of Dylan's life, but I think its more a phase of his confusion for his role and continued desire on the path he has chosen. The fact that a woman, Cate Blanchet, also plays the roll of Dylan at this stage seems to only enhance the confusion of Dylan's identity and truthfulness to himself.
An old and worn out Billy the Kid now takes the roll of the present day Dylan. Once again aloof and on the run, he assumes a fake identity and is thought to be dead by most. Once a legendary and famous gunslinger, his life now revolves around staying hidden and enjoying the small things he has left in life. This speaks to Dylan in a way, who has distanced himself from society more and more over the years. A legend as big as Billy the Kid, he has somewhat closed the book on that life and seeks refuge away from the limelight.
A general movie-going audience would expect Todd Haynes' film I'm Not There to be a biopic about Bob Dylan. However, it goes beyond a regular biographical film and transforms into something quite unexplainable. Complete with a vast array of actors portraying Dylan, choppy flashbacks and flash forwards, and shot cuts of the narrator in an eerie black and white setting, I'm Not There can be considered a posthumous homage to a character who the audience sees as ambiguous. In short, even while this person is alive, we never really know who they truly are.
For one, the text in the opening credits say it all. The actors' names flicker on and off like motel lights. Some letters disappear, others remain. And another name takes its place. Just like the different characters in the movie portray different stages and personas of Dylan's life, the text also does. Even the title of the film itself has an aura of uncertainty. It suggests that what the audience is about to see is a film in which the protagonist (or in this case, protagonists), doesn't know who he or she is and would rather live vicariously through another life. A good example of this is the scene in which Cate Blanchett's character of Jude Quinn would rather play like a little kid with the Beatles than do an interview for his career. Jude even says during a press conference, "Do we even know what people means?" This further emphasizes Dylan's plea for individuality and an anti-authority, non-conformist society.
The film also switches back and forth between color and black and white. While an aesthetic choice, I do feel that Haynes did it as a way to perhaps distinguish lapses of time to make the choppy flashbacks seem a little more clear. To me, the black and white scenes always took on a dismal tone (i.e. Jude's drug induced 60's mod party), whereas the scenes in color showed positive progression in Dylan's life (i.e. the motif of autumn leaves represents Dylan, played by Richard Gere, in the later stages of his life as a hideaway). This switch in the color of the film itself helps to further emphasize the many different personalities of Bob Dylan.
And finally, the idea of change is apparent throughout the film. For example, the scene in which Heath Ledger's character gets in a fight with his wife about the role of women causes his friend to question his choices. Clearly, Ledger's character is cocky from the fame and his friend calls him out on it saying, "You've changed." That seems to be the common thought of Dylan's peers throughout the whole film, even if it's not worded in that way. And even at the conclusion of the film, Jude questions these expectations and rants about being labeled a "folk singer who sings about political stuff." Haynes seems to be saying that Dylan, or anyone else for that matter, should never give in to others' expectations and that you are who you are and no one will truly know the real you except for yourself.
For one, the text in the opening credits say it all. The actors' names flicker on and off like motel lights. Some letters disappear, others remain. And another name takes its place. Just like the different characters in the movie portray different stages and personas of Dylan's life, the text also does. Even the title of the film itself has an aura of uncertainty. It suggests that what the audience is about to see is a film in which the protagonist (or in this case, protagonists), doesn't know who he or she is and would rather live vicariously through another life. A good example of this is the scene in which Cate Blanchett's character of Jude Quinn would rather play like a little kid with the Beatles than do an interview for his career. Jude even says during a press conference, "Do we even know what people means?" This further emphasizes Dylan's plea for individuality and an anti-authority, non-conformist society.
The film also switches back and forth between color and black and white. While an aesthetic choice, I do feel that Haynes did it as a way to perhaps distinguish lapses of time to make the choppy flashbacks seem a little more clear. To me, the black and white scenes always took on a dismal tone (i.e. Jude's drug induced 60's mod party), whereas the scenes in color showed positive progression in Dylan's life (i.e. the motif of autumn leaves represents Dylan, played by Richard Gere, in the later stages of his life as a hideaway). This switch in the color of the film itself helps to further emphasize the many different personalities of Bob Dylan.
And finally, the idea of change is apparent throughout the film. For example, the scene in which Heath Ledger's character gets in a fight with his wife about the role of women causes his friend to question his choices. Clearly, Ledger's character is cocky from the fame and his friend calls him out on it saying, "You've changed." That seems to be the common thought of Dylan's peers throughout the whole film, even if it's not worded in that way. And even at the conclusion of the film, Jude questions these expectations and rants about being labeled a "folk singer who sings about political stuff." Haynes seems to be saying that Dylan, or anyone else for that matter, should never give in to others' expectations and that you are who you are and no one will truly know the real you except for yourself.
I'M NOT THERE
Todd Hayne's "I'm Not There" is a bio piece on Bob Dylan which offers some complex ideas as to Dylan's "true identity". As one modern time's most famous artists, Hayne's film suggests that it is impossible to truly know Bob Dylan. He does this in two main ways: by employing multiple actors to play various characters, setting Dylan up as a kind of tall tale or mythological figure, one which Dylan's true identity can hide behind.
Haynes sets Dylan up as a tall tale folk hero in order to emphasize Dylan's fame and our ability as fans or observers to never truly know him. He does this from the start of the film with the character of Woody. Woody is a fast talking runaway that is a throw back to the dust bowl. His status a folk character is solidified when he is thrown from a railcar into the water, only to be swallowed by a whale. In keeping with this folk hero, tall tale theme, the character of Jude Quin, played by Cate Blanchett, makes sentimental references to traditional folk music, the magic and mythology of it. Also, book ending the film is another storyline centering around Richard Gere's character of Billy the Kid. There are many parallels between this piece and the beginning Woody piece. Both Woody and Billy find themselves on the run by hopping in train cars, and encounter large out of place animals (the whale in Woody's piece and a giraffe in Billy's). This serves to solidify a feeling of mythology and folk hero status around Bob Dylan, and makes it even more difficult for us to figure him out in a traditional sense.
Additionally, Hayne's uses multiple actors playing various different characters in order to emphasize the many or potential sides and states of Bob Dylan. Heath Ledger as an actor, plays a man who plays other people. He has the star mentality and struggles in be faithful to his wife, and there for his daughter. In addition Cate Blanchet as Jude Quin plays the troubled artist struggling with fame, and plagued by unhappy fans and a critical public. As Quin walks off stage post performance we hear people's reactions, complaining about how much "he's changed." This is done in order to show people's assumptions as to who Bob Dylan is, which is exactly what this film fights against.
Haynes sets Dylan up as a tall tale folk hero in order to emphasize Dylan's fame and our ability as fans or observers to never truly know him. He does this from the start of the film with the character of Woody. Woody is a fast talking runaway that is a throw back to the dust bowl. His status a folk character is solidified when he is thrown from a railcar into the water, only to be swallowed by a whale. In keeping with this folk hero, tall tale theme, the character of Jude Quin, played by Cate Blanchett, makes sentimental references to traditional folk music, the magic and mythology of it. Also, book ending the film is another storyline centering around Richard Gere's character of Billy the Kid. There are many parallels between this piece and the beginning Woody piece. Both Woody and Billy find themselves on the run by hopping in train cars, and encounter large out of place animals (the whale in Woody's piece and a giraffe in Billy's). This serves to solidify a feeling of mythology and folk hero status around Bob Dylan, and makes it even more difficult for us to figure him out in a traditional sense.
Additionally, Hayne's uses multiple actors playing various different characters in order to emphasize the many or potential sides and states of Bob Dylan. Heath Ledger as an actor, plays a man who plays other people. He has the star mentality and struggles in be faithful to his wife, and there for his daughter. In addition Cate Blanchet as Jude Quin plays the troubled artist struggling with fame, and plagued by unhappy fans and a critical public. As Quin walks off stage post performance we hear people's reactions, complaining about how much "he's changed." This is done in order to show people's assumptions as to who Bob Dylan is, which is exactly what this film fights against.
I'm Not There
I think Todd Haynes was trying to be creative and different at the same time, but all it did was confuse me. You can blatantly tell that he was trying to tell Bob Dylan's story in a different way, by way of using four different characters.
He began with Woody, the young boy who had a strong love for folk music. You saw that he carried his guitar everywhere he went, playing and singing for the people he encountered. He would have rather risked his life than give up his guitar, as we see when he jumps off the train into the water. He even went as far as visiting Woody Guthrie in the hospital, someone he didn't even know because he loved what he did so much. I saw that as Haynes trying to show us what Dylan might have been like as a child. The most radical character, Jude, was supposed to represent Dylan in his prime, with his career taking off. He was carefree, partied all the time, ad spoke his mind. In the end, it slowly started crumbling down for him. The last character, Johnny Walker was supposed to be Dylan late into his career. He had finally settled down and gotten married, and had some kids. He quit the singing after a while and gave his life to God, which was an unexpected turn in the film in my opinion. The fourth character was the old man with the dog, which could have represented Dylan after it was all over and he was just living a simple life. After escaping town on a freight train, he rediscovered his love for folk when he found Woody's guitar and began playing it.
As for my opinion of it all, after watching the film, I had to really step back and figure out why Haynes had done what he had done. I commend him on trying to be different, and later on I understood it, but I think he could have done a lot better. It was like watching a documentary/feature film/ period piece all rolled into one, and that was just way too much. I think it would have made a lot more sense if he would have just done it the standard way and had a simple biopic without all the" smoke and mirrors". It would have made a lot more sense instead of taking the audience back and forth.
He began with Woody, the young boy who had a strong love for folk music. You saw that he carried his guitar everywhere he went, playing and singing for the people he encountered. He would have rather risked his life than give up his guitar, as we see when he jumps off the train into the water. He even went as far as visiting Woody Guthrie in the hospital, someone he didn't even know because he loved what he did so much. I saw that as Haynes trying to show us what Dylan might have been like as a child. The most radical character, Jude, was supposed to represent Dylan in his prime, with his career taking off. He was carefree, partied all the time, ad spoke his mind. In the end, it slowly started crumbling down for him. The last character, Johnny Walker was supposed to be Dylan late into his career. He had finally settled down and gotten married, and had some kids. He quit the singing after a while and gave his life to God, which was an unexpected turn in the film in my opinion. The fourth character was the old man with the dog, which could have represented Dylan after it was all over and he was just living a simple life. After escaping town on a freight train, he rediscovered his love for folk when he found Woody's guitar and began playing it.
As for my opinion of it all, after watching the film, I had to really step back and figure out why Haynes had done what he had done. I commend him on trying to be different, and later on I understood it, but I think he could have done a lot better. It was like watching a documentary/feature film/ period piece all rolled into one, and that was just way too much. I think it would have made a lot more sense if he would have just done it the standard way and had a simple biopic without all the" smoke and mirrors". It would have made a lot more sense instead of taking the audience back and forth.
I'm Not There
I've come to the conclusion that this movie was brought to Bob Dylan's attention almost exactly in this manner: "Hey Bob, we uh... we wanted to do a movie about your image, your character, and your lifestyle." "Hm. Well uh... that's fine, man. As long as you don't do a movie about me." And the filmmakers ran with that. In an interview with Christian Bale, he had said that the director, on several occasions, would have to go over the script because "it was like nothing I'd ever seen before". Because it was a movie about Bob Dylan, it had to be a movie that nobody would understand if they simply took it for face value.
If you've ever listened to...well, I'd say 80% of Dylan's music, you wouldn't be able to understand what the song's about within the first few hundreds of times listening to it. Of course simple political songs such as "The Times They Are A'Changin" are outright and well-known. But similar, more complicated songs such as "It's Alright, Ma" are deeper and require more concentration to take in all of his lyrics and understand the deeper meaning behind the work.
The film understood this. The director filled the dialogue with fatalistic acrobats who sing about their own time. "That girl's trouble." "Should we invite her?" "Of course. I always invite trouble." It's a sense of danger and pride that came with Dylan's attitude. He wanted to hate the world, because that would be so much easier for him. But instead, he had to live in it. Each and every main character in that film felt the same way.
Although the characters all wound up in pretty much similar situations, a passive audience would've taken the film for a round-about narrative, much like Dylan's songs. Also sharing a frighteningly similar aspect with his songs, if we look deeper at the movie, we find that there were several different ways to interpret it. We ask ourselves "yeah, okay, but what is the film really trying to say?" Although the director probably had his own take on that, we're left to decide for ourselves. And that is very Dylan.
If you've ever listened to...well, I'd say 80% of Dylan's music, you wouldn't be able to understand what the song's about within the first few hundreds of times listening to it. Of course simple political songs such as "The Times They Are A'Changin" are outright and well-known. But similar, more complicated songs such as "It's Alright, Ma" are deeper and require more concentration to take in all of his lyrics and understand the deeper meaning behind the work.
The film understood this. The director filled the dialogue with fatalistic acrobats who sing about their own time. "That girl's trouble." "Should we invite her?" "Of course. I always invite trouble." It's a sense of danger and pride that came with Dylan's attitude. He wanted to hate the world, because that would be so much easier for him. But instead, he had to live in it. Each and every main character in that film felt the same way.
Although the characters all wound up in pretty much similar situations, a passive audience would've taken the film for a round-about narrative, much like Dylan's songs. Also sharing a frighteningly similar aspect with his songs, if we look deeper at the movie, we find that there were several different ways to interpret it. We ask ourselves "yeah, okay, but what is the film really trying to say?" Although the director probably had his own take on that, we're left to decide for ourselves. And that is very Dylan.
I'm Not There
Todd Haynes’ “I’m Not There” is an example of an artist being inspired by another artist and creating a collection of stories from his works and status as an icon. I’m Not There is an experimental, non-linear film that involves six characters that seem to be inspired by different aspects of Bob Dylan’s life as well as rumors and legends surrounding Dylan. It seems that Haynes, like many others, has been inspired by the highly influential Dylan and decided to make a film based on various perceptions of Dylan.
This film is not your average biopic and there are fragments weaved together to attempt to tell a story. The title card in the beginning says it all: “Inspired by the Music and Many Lives of Bob Dylan.” The director uses interpretations of Dylan’s music to create a story that reflects the mysterious Dylan. The words “Bob Dylan” are never mentioned in the film, not even when Christian Bale and Cate Blanchett seem to be dead ringers for the folk singer. Instead, they are Dylan inspired characters that resemble different periods of Dylan’s career or are based off his music. Christian Bale’s character of Jack Rollins seems to portray Dylan when he was becoming a big star on the folk music scene, while Cate Blanchett’s character of Jude Quinn seems to be portraying Dylan around the time he was involved in his motorcycle accident. Some of the characters are more abstract, like Richard Gere who resembles Billy the Kid.
The film “I’m Not There” is about the inspiration and power of iconic folk singer Bob Dylan. The story is disjointed, complicated and like a puzzle to try to piece together his life. This movie seems appropriate for such a complicated and powerful influence as Bob Dylan.
I'm Not There
Todd Hayne’s film I’m Not There could be considered quite simply to be a film about Bob Dylan and his life and career. However, as any good and innovative filmmaker does, Haynes takes a simple biopic and turns it into an abstract look at the different personalities and character traits that make such an illustrious icon tick. Haynes uses several different characters, parts of which the audience guesses to represent different aspects of Bob Dylan’s personality, to portray the man as a whole. For example, Haynes uses Richard Gere as Billy The Kid to reflect on the “outlaw” personality that is Bob Dylan. Also, Haynes parallels the stories of a young, black folk singer and a hip, emerging rock star to tell a specific story about Dylan’s struggle to find himself in his music. The young, black folk singer is told to “sing about his own time,” which Haynes parallels nicely with a British rock star struggling to discover if he is a political, folk hero, or a loud and brash rock icon. Of course, this aspect of the film could be interpreted as representing the period in Bob Dylan’s career where he struggled to define himself. While being labeled a “sellout,” Dylan struggled to determine what kind of artist and musician he really was.
Ultimately, I think Todd Haynes’ film is about identity. It’s about how no character is a simple one, and that all of us, especially a famous rock musician, are layered and complex human beings. Technically, I’m Not There is quite cleverly a lot like Dylan’s music. Although, it may seem complex and elaborate, often times it is clean and straightforward.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
The film ‘ I’m not there’ in short could be said that it’s about the singer songwriter Bob Dylan. But I’m not there isn’t just about Bob Dylan’s life like a typical biopic but about different stages about his life. Throughout the film we see the different stages do things that would make the audience love them as well as hate them. For example when we see the stage of Bob Dylan’s life played by Heath Ledger, he does things that we, the audience, would love and hate. When we first see Heath, he is a charming actor and charms up to a French painter. He eventually marries the painter but as he becomes more famous, he is spending less time with her and begins having an affair. When we first see Heath is very nice but as we see more of him, we begin to dislike him. Even though Heath had done a terrible thing, he makes up for it a little bit by showing how much he really cares for his children. Another example of this is when we see the stage that is resembled by Billy the Kid. Everyone knows that Billy the Kid was a gun-slinging murderer, which would give the audience a reason to dislike him. But we see that when the town is going to be bought, Billy the Kid sticks up for what is right and starts a rally for preventing the buyout. Throughout the film we see the stages but each character in that stage does things that the audience would love and hate.
I’m Not There
Todd Haynes’ I’m Not There is a non-linear collision of the spirit of the life and times of Bob Dylan, along with the themes of his music in counterpoint to his fan base, his critics, and the political atmosphere of the time. The characters that assemble the portrait we get of Bob Dylan--both in the script and in the cinematography--reference influences Todd Haynes feels are important in communicating Bob Dylan in his film. For example, the portrayal of Bob Dylan we first encounter in the courtroom gives his name as, and resembles, French poet Arthur Rimbaud, an influence on Bob Dylan’s music. I also noticed parallels in imagery during Cate Blanchett’s portrayal of Dylan to Federico Fellini's 8½: she floats like a balloon with a rope tied around her ankle like Guido in his dream. Even when they turn around with their guitars, but their guitars are machine guns and they shoot everyone in the audience is reminiscent of 8½. Richard Gere’s character, Billy the Kid, is in the movie to draw reference to the similarities between outlaw Billy the Kid’s fear of being caught and Bob Dylan’s fear and paranoia of everyone around him because everyone turned on him. The cinematography is similar to Sam Peckinpah’s Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid, which Dylan composed the soundtrack for.
The movie offers an abstracted view of the highs and lows of Dylan’s career, representing the points at which Dylan was successful with the folk artist Jack Rollins character, and when folk became the establishment, when Dylan sold out, which Heath Ledger’s Robbie and Cate Blanchett’s Jude represent in the film. One of the first pieces of advice the character Woody gets is to sing about his own time, something Bob Dylan embraced when he sang about social issues and was the voice of his generation. He gets criticized for selling out when he alienates his fan base with different music, and then accused in England of not having a social consciousness when all he’s ever done is make music in America for the disenfranchised. It’s like the character Arthur says at the end of the movie when he’s giving his list of seven simple rules of going into hiding: “If asked if you care about the world's problems, look deep into the eyes of he who asks, he will never ask you again;” and, “Never create anything, it will be misinterpreted, it will chain you and follow you for the rest of your life.” Such is the life of Bob Dylan.
The movie offers an abstracted view of the highs and lows of Dylan’s career, representing the points at which Dylan was successful with the folk artist Jack Rollins character, and when folk became the establishment, when Dylan sold out, which Heath Ledger’s Robbie and Cate Blanchett’s Jude represent in the film. One of the first pieces of advice the character Woody gets is to sing about his own time, something Bob Dylan embraced when he sang about social issues and was the voice of his generation. He gets criticized for selling out when he alienates his fan base with different music, and then accused in England of not having a social consciousness when all he’s ever done is make music in America for the disenfranchised. It’s like the character Arthur says at the end of the movie when he’s giving his list of seven simple rules of going into hiding: “If asked if you care about the world's problems, look deep into the eyes of he who asks, he will never ask you again;” and, “Never create anything, it will be misinterpreted, it will chain you and follow you for the rest of your life.” Such is the life of Bob Dylan.
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