“A Complete Unknown” follows Bob Dylan’s early rise to fame in the New York music scene from 1961–1965. The main controversy in the movie arises when Dylan starts resonating with the rock scene, using an electric guitar instead of the standard acoustic for folk. Fans didn’t respond well to the pivotal transformation.
“When my husband and I saw him live in 1961, we thought his performance was disappointing,” Margret Keller, a docent at The Modern and local college advisor, comments. “But it was Bob Dylan!”
In the movie, Pete Seeger, an American folk singer-songwriter and social activist, is played by Edward Norton. He played a major role in Dylan’s rise to fame, acting as an unintentional guide into the unknown world of sex, money, and drugs that native Bob Dylan was soon to immerse himself in.
A compelling love triangle between Dylan, his muse Suze Rotolo, played by Elle Fanning, and Joan Baez, played by Monica Barbaro. Barbaro expressed her worry for Joan about her character depiction. As someone who wasn’t familiar with Baez, the depiction of her character made me feel as if she was just the stereotypical “other woman”. On the contrary, Rotolo is seen as the great love. Even with the reality in the portrayals, Hollywood’s obsession with the box-like characterization of the love triangles is becoming a bit overused. Public-related controversies bring attention to the relationship aspects and not the actual movie.
This also adds emotional insight to Dylan’s transition to fame. Suze is depicted as the grounding force in Dylan’s early years and is known to be Dylan’s greatest love, while Baez represents both an artistic partner and a rival. Their relationship evolves as Dylan becomes increasingly distant, caught between the demands of fame and his own creative ambitions. The romantic tension underscores Dylan’s growing alienation and serves as a poignant counterpoint to his public persona.
With stellar performances, a rich narrative, and a meticulous recreation of the 1960s, *A Complete Unknown* is a masterful exploration of an artist’s journey through uncharted waters. For fans of Dylan and newcomers alike, the film offers a deeply human look at the man behind the myth.
Rebekah Bennett | Jan 29, 2025 at 1:26 pm
As an avid Dylan fan, I found James Mangold’s depiction of Dylan’s early years quite intriguing. The relationships with Joan and Suze seemed to be at the forefront of Mangold’s vision for the film. Although Dylan is more than a heartbreaker, I believe the choice to follow the love triangle so closely made the film more intriguing for audiences of all ages. It’s been interesting to see and hear the public’s response to “A Complete Unknown,” especially from audience members that walked into the theater with little to no experience with Bob Dylan. Online, I regularly see the joke that James Mangold really wanted to make a Pete Seeger and/or Joan Baez biopic, but settled around Dylan with the intent to make Joan and Pete shine throughout the story. I find this sentiment to be both funny and true. While the group of Dylan fans has grown since the film’s release, the groups of Baez and Seeger fans have also grown, and rightfully so. The film paid great homage to not only Dylan’s rise, but also the rise of Greenwich Village’s music and arts scene. Overall, a great film!