The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #173608   Message #4214098
Posted By: Desert Dancer
24-Dec-24 - 11:11 PM
Thread Name: A Complete Unknown 2024, Dylan & Newport
Subject: RE: A Complete Unknown 2024, Dylan & Newport
Wald (Facebook, Dec. 4): I'm in shock... (also just saw the movie, and liked it)
The above was posted with an image of Bob Dylans post on X, "There's a movie about me opening soon called A Complete Unknown (what a title!). Timothee Chalamet is starring in the lead role. Timmy's a brilliant actor so I'm sure he's going to be completely believable as me. Or a younger me. Or some other me. The film's taken from Elijah Wald's Dylan Goes Electric - a book that came out in 2015. It's a fantastic retelling of evenents from the early '50s that led up to the fiasco at Newport. After you've seen the movie read the book."

Wald (Facebook, Dec. 11): Since all sorts of people are getting this wrong... Suze Rotolo chose that spelling of her name to be cool and unusual, but pronounced it as two syllables: "Susie."

Wald (Facebook, Dec. 19): [He was asked, "... Suze Rotolo was fictionalized as "Sylvie", and a number of people were asking why?"] Apparently, Dylan requested that Suze's name be changed because she was a very private person and should not be treated as a public figure.

Elijah Wald's recent Dylan-related posts on his "Songobiography" blog are linked in the sidebar of the intro page, here: https://www.elijahwald.com/songblog/

Blowin' in the Wind
Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
Freight Train Blues
Girl from the North Country
If I Had to Do It All Over Again, I’d Do It All Over You (Dylan & Van Ronk)
Like a Rolling Stone
Love Minus Zero/No Limit
Maggie's Farm
Mr. Tambourine Man
The Old Man

There are reviews out, but many are paywalled - I'll leave you to do your own searches. But, here's perspective of use to any not-so-much-a-Dylan-fans, like myself:

A Complete Unknown Isn’t Really About Bob Dylan, The new biopic stars Timothée Chalamet as the musical genius, but it’s interested less in him than in his effect on others. (Slate.com)

~ Becky in Oregon