A Complete Unknown

Rating 7/10

In his 1965 anthem “Like a Rolling Stone,” Bob Dylan sings,
How does it feel / To be on your own / With no direction home / A complete unknown….
It’s one of his most iconic songs, but it also serves as a perfect title for a biopic about his early years as an artist—his transformation from an anonymous performer into a cultural icon.

Our story begins in 1961, with a young Bob Dylan’s arrival in New York City. He’s seeking out his idol, Woody Guthrie.  Dylan’s subsequent rise in the Greenwich Village folk scene is imminent. Spanning roughly 4 years, it highlights the folk singer’s ongoing relationships with various personalities and his groundbreaking transition to electric folk rock, culminating in his controversial 1965 Newport Folk Festival performance.

Timothee Chalalmet does an extortionary job of embodying the man. Not only does he get his cadence and mannerisms, but he also performs all of the legend’s tunes himself. Chalamet dedicated five years to mastering Dylan’s distinctive vocal style. He also learned to play the guitar and harmonica while working with a vocal coach to capture his nasal intonations. Additionally, he performed the music live rather than relying on pre-recorded tracks.

The account includes Dylan’s interactions with certain figures during these formative years. Edward Norton embodies Pete Seeger with a folksy charm reminiscent of James Stewart. Monica Barbaro is Joan Baez, effectively capturing her musical prowess and seductive allure. Their evolving relationship is fraught with both chemistry and tension. Elle Fanning plays Sylvie Russo, a character based on Suze Rotolo, Dylan’s girlfriend at the time. He treats her pretty shabbily. Boyd Holbrook’s portrayal of Johnny Cash and Scoot McNairy’s Woody Guthrie adds to the collection of musical legends in his orbit.

Director James Mangold is no stranger to the musical biopic. His 2005 effort Walk the Line offered a traditional take on the life of Johnny Cash, focusing on two decades that defined his career. However, in A Complete Unknown, Mangold takes a different approach. Rather than offering an overview of an entire life, he narrows the lens to a few pivotal years, which allows for a deeper dive. Working from a script he co-wrote with Jay Cocks (Gangs of New York), the film provides a more focused portrait of Dylan during a critical period.

The saga explores the songwriter’s development as an artist and the influences that shaped his music, alongside the social and political forces that played a role in his work. Dylan’s activist stance, deeply entwined with the civil rights movement of the early 1960s, is reflected in classics like “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “The Times They Are A-Changin’.”  However, as his fame progressed, he shifts away from overt political advocacy, moving toward more personal and introspective themes, notably with his embrace of electric guitars in 1965.

I don’t pretend to be a Dylan expert—heck, I could probably only name a handful of his tunes if pressed. Yet, I was entertained. It gave me an appreciation for his artistry and captured the spirit of an era. Sure, some juxtapositions of people and events may be historically inaccurate, but chalk that up to creative license. Dylan still remains an enigma at the end of the movie, but he isn’t, as the title says, a complete unknown. I enjoyed this opportunity to learn a little more about this voice of a generation.

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