I'm Not There

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I'm Not There

I'm Not There one sheet.
Directed by Todd Haynes
Produced by Christine Vachon
Jeff Rosen
Written by Todd Haynes
Oren Moverman
Starring Christian Bale
Cate Blanchett
Ben Whishaw
Marcus Carl Franklin
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Richard Gere
Heath Ledger
Julianne Moore
Peter Friedman
Music by Bob Dylan
Cinematography Edward Lachman
Distributed by United States:
The Weinstein Company
United Kingdom:
Paramount Pictures
Running time 135 min.
Country USA
Germany
Language English
Budget $20 million

I'm Not There is a 2007 biographical film directed by Todd Haynes and is inspired by the life of iconic singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. It depicts six distinct stages of Dylan's life and public persona portrayed by an ensemble cast of actors: Marcus Carl Franklin, Ben Whishaw, Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, Richard Gere, and Cate Blanchett. All play characters based on Dylan but with different names.[1]

The film tells its story using non-traditional techniques, similar to the poetic narrative style of Dylan's songwriting. It takes its name from the 1967 Dylan outtake "I'm Not There", a song never officially released until its appearance on the film's official soundtrack album. Critically acclaimed, I'm Not There made many top ten film lists for 2007, topping the lists for The Village Voice, Entertainment Weekly, Salon and The Boston Globe.

Contents

[edit] Complete Synopsis

The film opens with Bob Dylan walking out on a stage at his concert to perform, then cuts to him riding his motorcycle just before he crashes-- just as he did in 1966--and ends up having an autopsy performed on him.

Marcus Carl Franklin, a young African American actor, plays Woody Guthrie, an 11-year old version of Dylan who names himself after his idol. Woody carries around a guitar labeled "This Machine Kills Fascists" as did the real Woody Guthrie. Woody is seen as a young boy who travels the country in pursuit of his dream to become a singer. He is once seen in a circus trying to perform, but is made fun of and kicked out for unknown reasons. Woody later meets and is befriended by an African-American family and is cared for at their home. He also sings "Tombstone Blues" with some of the elderly men. Woody later has dinner with the family where he is insulted by a woman who argues about him being a voice to the people and about what goes on in the world; as the woman tells Woody, "Live your own time, child, sing about your own time". Later that night Woody leaves the home and a note thanking the family for their hospitality and catches a ride on a train. Later that night, he falls asleep and is awakened by thieves who are looking for money. They attempt to rob Woody, but he gets away by jumping off the train and into a river. A couple later finds him unconscious and takes him to a hospital. The couple take him into their home and temporarily care for him. They later get a call from a juvenile correction center in Minnesota from which Woody had escaped . Woody leaves the couple's home and takes a train ride to New Jersey to visit his idol, the real Woody Guthrie, who is slowly dying in a hospital. Woody is seen leaving him flowers and crying at Guthrie's bedside. He is last seen playing the song Blind Willie McTell on his guitar for Guthrie.

Ben Whishaw plays a young rebel version of Dylan who calls himself after the poet Arthur Rimbaud. Arthur is mostly seen in an interrogation room where he tells people stories of his life. He is somewhat of a narrator of all six stages of Dylan's life throughout the film.

Christian Bale plays Jack Rollins, a version of Dylan that focus around Dylan's folk era in the early 60's. This story is framed as a documentary and is told by people who knew him, especially a fictional character named Alice, who is based on Joan Baez. He is also praised by many folk fans who refer to his songs as anthems and protest songs, whereas Jack himself refers to them as finger-point songs. Jack later accepts the "Tom Paine Award" at a civil rights meeting, shortly after the JFK assassination, where a drunken Rollins insults the people in attendance and claims that he saw something in JFK's alleged assassin Lee Harvey Oswald which he also saw in himself. The shocked people begin to boo Rollins. This marked the end of Dylan's protest era.

Christian Bale also plays another version of Dylan, Pastor John, the Born Again Christian. This takes place within Jack Rollins' story, 11 years after the incident at the civil rights meeting. Rollins went to California with his girlfriend, where he entered a church for Bible studies. He is later reborn and becomes a preacher. Pastor John is last seen giving testimonies to the fellow church members (as Dylan did in his concerts in the late 70's when he became a born-again Christian), and sings his gospel song "Pressing On".

Heath Ledger is Robbie Clark, a fictional actor who acts in a movie about Jack Rollins (played by Christian Bale) called "Grain of Sand" (a reference to Dylan's 1981 haunting gospel song "Every Grain of Sand"). The Robbie Clark persona focuses on Dylan's personal life and his failing marriage with his wife Claire (a fictional character based on Dylan's ex-wife Sara Dylan). Robbie tells his life story from the first time he met Claire in a Greenwich Village diner, where his fascination with her was due to her French heritage. Their relationship becomes serious, and they are seen making love for the first time in their apartment and going for bike rides, since Dylan was a lover of motorcycles. Robbie and Claire are later seen at the premiere of "Grain of Sand", which turned out to be disappointing to Claire and the audience. One night, Robbie's marriage begins to go downhill. He has a party with his friends at his home and Claire catches him with his hand between another woman's thighs. The relationship continues to deteriorate as Claire notices Robbie's attitude toward women, which she perceives to be sexist. He uses the terms "guys and chicks" different[ly] and "chicks could never be poets". Robbie leaves the family for a while to film a new action-thriller movie of his. During his absence Claire attempts to get a hold of Robbie on the phone but doesn't answer.He is seen coming out of the shower while seeing another woman. Claire later files for divorce. He returns home to bring Claire's family pictures from his house. Robbie and Claire are later seen in court when they gain joint custody of their children. Robbie is last seen visiting his kids and taking them on a boat trip.

Cate Blanchett portrays Jude Quinn, a version of Dylan who was at the height of his fame in the 60's, when his original fan base was rejecting him as a sell-out. Jude is first seen after the folk era at a concert in a New England town, performing in front of folk fans as he sings "Maggie's Farm". Jude is heavily booed by outraged fans as an unnamed Pete Seeger lookalike attempts to cut the stage power with an axe ,but is stopped by security guards, in reference to Seeger's claim at the time of "If I'd had an axe, I'd have cut the power". A number of folk fans are seen expressing their thoughts on Jude's new turn as a rock star from a protest singer. Jude is later seen at a press conference where he is asked questions that Dylan was asked in his famous interviews from the 60s, such as how many folk singers are there and if he is trying to change the world. Later in Jude's apartment in London, Jude is confronted by a food service man who threatens Jude with a knife because of his departure from protesting. The man is then knocked out by Jude's lover with a bottle and is carried out of the room. Jude is later seen apparently using drugs with The Beatles as reporters attempt to interview him, and is then confronted by Keenan Jones (a fictional character referenced from the song "Ballad of a Thin Man", played by Bruce Greenwood). Jude hallucinates about his love interest Coco Rivington (a fictional character based on Edie Sedgwick) after their apparent breakup. Coco is now seeing another man who is a friend of Jude's. Jude is then taken in a car by his friends and Keenan Jones as his condition from drugs begins to have an affect him. The group then meets Allen Ginsberg, a poet, whose thoughts on Jude selling out his original fans was Jude selling out to God. Ginsberg promises Jude salvation from the pressures of his life. Keenan Jones later questions Jude about whether he cares of people, and what he sings every night, to which Jude replies, "How can I answer that if you've got the nerve to ask me?", (similar to Dylan's Time Magazine Interview in 1965). Jude then leaves the car in disgust and goes elsewhere. In a nod towards "Ballad of a Thin Man", the song plays as Keenan Jones hallucinates other men that are identical to himself such as a naked Keenan Jones, a reference to the line "You see somebody naked and you say who is that man". Mr. Jones later gets a year book from Jude Quinn's high school years and his pictures looks somewhat similar to the persona of Jack Rollins, implying that all the personas are the same character, Bob Dylan. Jude is next seen in another concert singing "Ballad of a Thin Man", where a famous moment in Dylan's life occurs--one of the outraged fans shouts "Judas!" Jude replies "I don't believe you". As the fans rush the stage in an apparent attempt to attack Jude, he narrowly escapes with his band. Jude is back in his apartment where he sees Keenan Jones on television and reveals the true identity of Jude Quinn, "Aaron Jacob Edlesteen". A picture of Dylan's real parents are also shown on the television. Jude later has a party where he invites his friends (including Brian Jones, the Rolling Stones Guitarist, who he introduces as "Brian Jones from that groovy covers band", band and Coco Rivington). Jude is seen with his buddies using drugs and getting drunk as Jude insults Coco in front of her lover, stating, "She has the sweetest little pussy". Coco, humiliated, runs downstairs in embarrassment. As Jude's condition from drug usage worsens he then vomits in his friends', Sonny Dover's lap (Coco's lover). Jude's friends carry outside into his car and drive him to a hospital. Jude and Allen Ginsberg are later seen at the foot of a crucifix, "talking to Christ". This indicates the Dylan characters' discovery of Christianity, as did Dylan's persona of Jack Rollins/Pastor John. As with the real Dylan, Jude is seen passed out on the floor with his friends staring down at him, Dylan was known for passing out at parties. Allen Ginsberg states, "He's been in so many psyches", which this indicates that he's moved on to another life. The story then cuts back to the motorcycle wreck showing Jude laid out violently on the ground. Jude is last seen in his car directly addressing the viewer, "Everyone knows I'm not a folk singer".

Richard Gere portrays Billy the Kid, a version of the elderly Dylan with the other stories being in the past of this story. This story focuses on Dylan's country life of the Woodstock era and his later years. Billy is first seen waking up to the barking of his dog "Henry", he takes his dog outside and ties his leash to a fence but the dog manages to run away. Billy is then forced to look for her in the woods but does not catch her. Billy then has flashbacks of his past life of the Robbie Clark persona, when his marriage failed. Billy later meets up with his friend Homer, a reference to Dylan's song from "The Basement Tapes" "Open the Door, Homer". Homer is seen selling some of his old belongings as Billy asks if Homer had seen his dog, which he had not. Homer tells Billy of Old Man Pat Garrett's destruction of Riddle County, and the suicides of the depressed people as well as murders. Amongst them was a young girl named Ms. Henry (not to be confused with Billy's dog). Billy then goes to Riddle County to pay his respects to Ms. Henry and Mr. Montgomery for their services. As the townspeople are celebrating Halloween the funeral services are being held outdoors as a band sings Dylan's haunting Basement Tapes song "Going to Acapulco" (performed by Jim James of My Morning Jacket along with the band Calexico). After the services Pat Garrett (played by Bruce Greenwood) arrives and confronts the townspeople. Billy puts on a Halloween mask to disguise himself and tells Garrett to stay clear of Riddle County. Garrett asks what his names is, Billy replies "William"; Garrett then asks him to show him his face. Billy takes off his mask and reveals himself, and Garrett recognizes him. This indicates that Garrett is a reincarnation of Keenan Jones. Garrett then orders the authorities to arrest Billy. Billy is then taken to the county jail. Billy later escapes from jail with the help of Homer and runs to the running trains as Billy catches a ride. Homer stays behind gives his farewell to Billy. Billy then sees his dog Henry one last time as he is riding on the train. He calls for her but doesn't catch up with the train in time. He then says "Goodbye my Lady". Billy later finds a guitar that reads "This Machine kills Fascists"--the same inscription that was on Willie Gutherie's guitar. He sits in the train and plays the guitar. Billy's final words are "People are always talking about freedom, and how to live a certain way. Course the more you live a certain way the less it feels like freedom. Me? I can change during the course of a day. When I wake I'm one person, when I go to sleep I know for certain I'm somebody else. I don't know who I am most of the time. It's like you got yesterday, today and tomorrow all in the same room. There's no telling what's going to happen." The train then rides off. It is suggested that Dylan as Billy is taking the train to the "Never Ending Tour".

The film ends with a clip of Bob Dylan playing his harmonica from the documentary Eat the Document.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Concept

In a comment on why six actors were employed to portray different facets of Dylan's personality, Haynes wrote:

The minute you try to grab hold of Dylan, he's no longer where he was. He's like a flame: If you try to hold him in your hand you'll surely get burned. Dylan's life of change and constant disappearances and constant transformations makes you yearn to hold him, and to nail him down. And that's why his fan base is so obsessive, so desirous of finding the truth and the absolutes and the answers to him - things that Dylan will never provide and will only frustrate.... Dylan is difficult and mysterious and evasive and frustrating, and it only makes you identify with him all the more as he skirts identity.[2]

A seventh character, a Charlie Chaplin-like incarnation of Dylan, was present in the script but was dropped before filming began.[3]

[edit] Soundtrack

Main article: I'm Not There (soundtrack)

The film features numerous Dylan songs. Most are background music, but a few songs are woven into the action (e.g. "Goin' to Acapulco") or merely illustrate it (e.g. "I Want You"). "Ballad of a Thin Man" even provides the script for a brief sequence. Fact and fiction are blurred as original recordings are mixed with versions performed by various artists.

A notable example of a non-Dylan song is the use of The Monkees' "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" during a party scene.

[edit] Production and exhibition

The production began filming in late July 2006 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

The film premiered at the 34th Telluride Film Festival on August 31, 2007. It opened in theaters in Italy and played the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2007. It opened in limited release in the United States and Canada in November, and was released in Australia on Boxing Day 2007. It was rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America for language, some sexuality, nudity and drug use.

[edit] Critical reception

I'm Not There received generally positive reviews from critics. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 78% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 141 reviews.[4] Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 73 out of 100, based on 35 reviews.[5]

Writing in The Chronicle of Higher Education, critic Anthony DeCurtis said that casting six different actors, including a woman and an African-American child, to play Dylan was "a preposterous idea, the sort of self-consciously 'audacious'—or reassuringly multi-culti—gambit that, for instance, doomed the Broadway musical based on the life and music of John Lennon. Yet in I'm Not There, the strategy works brilliantly." He especially praised Blanchett:

"[H]er performance is a wonder, and not simply because, as Jude Quinn, she inhabits the twitchy, amphetamine-fired Dylan of 1965-66 with unnerving accuracy. Casting a woman in this role reveals a dimension to the acerbic Dylan of this era that has rarely been noted. Even as she perfectly mimics every jitter, sneer, and caustic put-down, Blanchett's translucent skin, delicate fingers, slight build, and pleading eyes all suggest the previously invisible vulnerability and fear that fueled Dylan's lacerating anger. It's hard to imagine that any male actor, or any less-gifted female actor for that matter, could have lent such rich texture to the role."[6]

Numerous other reviewers have raved about Blanchett's performance: Newsweek magazine called the performance "so convincing and intense that you shrink back in your seat when she fixes you with her gaze."[7] The Charlotte Observer called Blanchett "miraculously close to the 1966 Dylan."[8] The film won the Grand Jury Prize and Best Actress honors for Blanchett at the 64th Venice Film Festival.[9] Blanchett also won the Golden Globe Award for her performance, in addition to several critics awards. She was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award and an Academy Award.

Ed Siegel's piece in the Boston Globe called the film "A noble failure in grasping Dylan," but finds Haynes' film worthy to be considered part of "the wealth of high-quality material that Dylan has allowed to emerge in recent years." His article is equally focused on Dylan, whose ambiguity has inspired a variety of interpretations, compelling Siegel to suggest his own interpretation: "I'm All Here."[10]

[edit] Top ten lists

The film appeared on many critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2007.[11]

[edit] Awards and nominations

[edit] DVD release

I'm Not There was released on DVD as a 2-disc special edition on May 6, 2008. The DVD special features include audio commentary from Haynes, deleted scenes, featurettes, a music video, audition tapes for Marcus Carl Franklin and Ben Whishaw, a gag reel, a tribute to Heath Ledger, a series of unreleased trailers featuring the six actors re-enacting the 'Subterranean Homesick Blues' promo film and a Bob Dylan filmography and discography.

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Look At the Six Bob Dylans From 'I'm Not There'", JustPressPlay. 
  2. ^ "Haynes in Weinstein Company press notes for "I'm Not There", quoted in Footnote fetishism & "I'm Not There" by Jim Emerson". Jim Emerson's scanners::blog (2007-10-10).
  3. ^ "Dylan Director Comes Clean". Mojo. Retrieved on 2008-09-07.
  4. ^ "I'm Not There Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved on 2008-05-19.
  5. ^ "I'm Not There (2007): Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved on 2008-05-19.
  6. ^ DeCurtis, Anthony (2007-11-23). "6 Characters in Search of an Artist", The Chronicle of Higher Education. 
  7. ^ David Gates,"The Roles They Are A-Changin’: In Todd Haynes's film, one Dylan's not enough" from Newsweek, November 26, 2007.
  8. ^ Lawrence Toppman, "Everybody's 'There' except Bob D." from The Charlotte Observer, November 23, 2007.
  9. ^ "Blanchett wins top Venice award", BBC News Online (8 September 2007). Retrieved on 8 September 2007. 
  10. ^ "A noble failure in grasping Dylan". Boston Globe. Retrieved on 2007-12-04.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "Metacritic: 2007 Film Critic Top Ten Lists". Metacritic. Retrieved on 2008-01-05.
  12. ^ Best musical Im not there
  13. ^ Travers, Peter, (December 19, 2007) "Peter Travers' Best and Worst Movies of 2007" Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2007-12-20

[edit] External links

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