THERE is substantial Oscar buzz surrounding A Complete Unknown, not least the performance of Timothee Chalamet as a young Bob Dyan. His acting chops not only extended to his getting Dylan’s speech and many other nuances spot on but also learning to sing in that unique Bobster croak as well as playing guitar the way Dylan used to.
So his Oscar nomination for Best Actor, alongside seven others for the biopic, is well deserved. Dylan himself has remarked that Chalamet is a “damn talented actor”. But just who is the man born Robert Zimmerman and what is the legend behind the hype?
Here are a few choice nuggets to pique your interest and make you sound like a complete Dylanologist.
Not the first
This is not a the first film on Dylan with documentaries aplenty, not least Rolling Thunder Revevue: A Bob Dylan Story (2019) by famed director Martin Scorcese. There was also unique take by director Todd Haynes - I’m Not There (2007) – which had no less than six thespians play Dylan, including actress Cate Blanchett.
Recognition from academia
Dylan is famed for his lyrical ability, crafting songs whose words hold deep and profound meaning, resonating with generations of music fans. His lyrics go beyond the ‘la la la I love you variety’ and is treated with the reverence often associated with poets and literary giants. This is reflected in the number of universities that offer studies on the subject. This include University of Cambridge’s “Bob Dylan’s Lyrics: a Literary Exploration” as well as the University of Tulsa’s Institute of Bob Dylan Studies.
Honours galore
On May 29, 2012, Dylan received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor, from President Barack Obama in a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. No biggie then as Dylan has received numerous honorary titles and doctorates including being the first musician to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. How’s that for category busting?
Die with your boots on
Despite being 83 years old, Dylan shows no signs of slowing down, continuing to produce new music with his last album Rough and Ready released in 2020. Incredibly, he continues to be active on the live circuit and has just announced tour dates for 2025! You get the feeling that Dylan will keep on rolling till the very end as the life of a working musician is all he has ever known (though he is also dabbled as an author and actor).
Career highlights
Take your pick. With a recording career stretching back to 1962 when he released his eponymus debut, there have been 40 studio albums, 21 live albums, 17 volumes of The Bootleg Series, 44 compilation albums as well as contributions to various soundtracks.
Highlights include Blood On the Tracks (1975, Slow Train Coming (1979) and Time Out of Mind (1997). The film’s title refers to a line off the track from the track Like A Rolling Stone, from the seminal Highway 61 Re-visited (1965). Notable albums that helped establish Dylan as a folk star from the Greenwich Village scene include The Freewheelin Bob Dylan (1963) and Times They Are A’Changin (1964).
Live in KL
It is very unlikely that Malaysian audiences will see Dylan on his latest trek but once upon a time, in 1994 to be exact, a few thousand were privy to that experience at the Putra World Trade Centre. Dylan’s concert in Kuala Lumpur was part of his Never Ending Tour. The set list for the gig included Jokerman, Shelter from the Storm, and All Along the Watchtower.
In the meantime, enjoy the film and hopefully it will inspire you to dive headlong into the huge pit of Dylan film, movies and books.
