The Complete Unknown – Review
I must admit I went into this film with a great deal of apprehension. My experience of these rock music biopics is that the truth is bent to create more drama. Drama always seems to ace reality. They pay lip-service to the truth.
I find that annoying. I feel that a biopic should be a historical document as much as a dramatic invention. In my view it should be possible to create a drama without distorting the facts.
Being a big Phil Ochs fan, and having read the reviews, I was apprehensive. Having recently completed books in the On Track: Every Album, Every Song series on both Bob Dylan’s 1960s albums and Phil Ochs, I was well conversant with every aspect of both Bob and Phil’s lives. I was prepared for disappointment.
I was very pleasantly surprised. I loved the film. I thought the acting of Timothée Chalamet was outstanding. He captured both the early Dylan (even to the fluttering eyelashes) and the later polka-dotted pent-up rebel, perfectly. The atmosphere and feel of the film felt authentic.
As one might expect there was a lot of poetic licence regarding events. The characterisation of Woody, Pete Seeger and Suze was rather two-dimensional and drained of complexity. I loved the Joan character (and her voice) and thought that Albert Grossman was spot on. Probably could not expect much more in the time given – it was already 2.30 hours.
The early years between 1961 and 1964 were glossed over. I reckon they had the idea of culminating in the electrification at Newport and that guided everything. That dramatic device was a little muddied. They combined the Newport set with the Manchester gig for more dramatic impact. But I could well cope with that.
They bigged up the Johnny Cash and downplayed many other important characters – Dave Van Ronk, Phil Ochs, Peter La Farge, Buffy St Marie, Tom Paxton , David Blue and Richard Farina come to mind. There was a whole community of important characters.
The film was what it was. It told a story very effectively. I was very pleasantly surprised. As a historical document it was much better than most. As a drama it was superb.
I left thinking that there was another movie there that could have been told in more depth. That movie would have focussed in more detail on the 1961-1963 period. That would have featured the Phil Ochs relationship, Dave Van Ronk and the whole New York club scene – the blues guys, old folkies, new contemporary folkies, Irish singers, the folk groups – the intrigue, competition, rivalry, card games, drinking, smoking, sex and relationships. But that’s a whole different film.
Loved this one! Off to see it again!
