1967 Directed by D. A. Pennebaker
In this wildly entertaining vision of one of the twentieth century’s greatest artists, Bob Dylan is surrounded by teen fans, gets into heated philosophical jousts with journalists, and kicks back with fellow musicians Joan Baez, Donovan, and Alan Price.
Bob Dylan - Don't Look Back
"I don't care who did it, I just want to KNOW who did it."
A mythical picture of Dylan, younger than anyone has ever been, a creature of smartass feminine beauty making it all look easy. Love the flashback to his vein-pounding Guthrie singing days that couldn't have been that long before the main action of the movie, but it could almost be footage of Bob's grandfather. But enough of that shit, I need to talk about something important:
This movie has the exact same ending as The Pink Panther. Clouseau is in the police car going to prison, having been falsely convicted of the crimes of the Phantom, which has earned him throngs of eager fans and an intoxicating…
87
In this striking, mythic portrait of Bob Dylan in 1965, director D.A. Pennebaker captures the legend as he smokes 80 packs a day, goes on the offensive against a neverending stream of pull-quote journalists, and plays his sermons well into the night. Beautiful, wicked sharp, with every scene a radical development of the Dylan persona.
Curly haired man strums guitar and says things over it. He wears leather jackets and has that type of wavy hair that has its own gravitational pull. Unlit cigarettes appear in his mouth as if there was a cosmic law against their absence. People make deals with the devil for riches and women and fast cars, but bob dylan goes up to him and he says "if there is ever not a cigarette in my mouth, god damn it you put one there, alright? now here, have my soul." Fuzzy man and his fuzzy friends are filmed through a fuzzy haze, Bob Dylan seems to ambulate to a rhythm that wouldn't suit any other way of doing it, anyway. People…
I want Bob Dylan to personally call me the fuck out on my bullshit just so I can finally learn my lesson.
i think i relate to him on a spiritual level because i am also annoying and smoke a lot
"He is not singing so much as sermonizing. Colon. His tragedy, perhaps, is that the audience is preoccupied with song. Paragraph. So the bearded boys and lank-haired girls, all eyeshadow and undertaker makeup, applaud the song and miss the sermon..."
Immaturity is thinking that Bob Dylan is mean to the Time Magazine reporter. Maturity is understanding that everything he says is true.
NEVER MEET YOUR HEROES
As a big Bob Dylan fan, it can be a hard watch as he comes off as a huge asshole in this doc. He hardly shows any interest in anyone else. Occasionally reporters ask him questions off camera, and he barely grunts. He doesn’t once glance up from his typewriter when Joan Baez is singing behind him. He’s constantly shitting on Donovan out of jealousy who did nothing but look up to him. That being said, watching him write a piece of music is absolutely magical.
The film on the other hand is masterful. DA Pennebaker feels incredibly modern with his zooms and what he chooses to focus on. He won’t always focus on the speaker, and will occasionally choose to zoom in on the listener for a great reaction. The editing is seamless, feeling dream-like at times.
Great movie, not a flattering portrayal.
I've never felt pain for anyone in a movie like I feel pain for Donovan playing some dainty little folk ditty to impress Dylan and Dylan responding by playing "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue."
(Also Dylan was 100% right to bully ever journalist and presumptuous fan in this and I hope that science student had a sad, sad life after this.)
