Timothée Chalamet recently starred as the budding superstar Bob Dylan in James Mangold’s new biopic, A Complete Unknown. The film followed Dylan’s rise to stardom in the Greenwich Village folk scene in the 1960s.
On a cold January day, Dylan arrived in New York, his breath visible as he grasped his weathered guitar case. He enters a hospital where he meets a major influence of his, Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy). Lying frail in his bed, Dylan, anxious but eager, strummed a song he wrote for him called, “Song to Woody.” As the camera lingered on Guthrie’s tired intrigued eyes, a tender yet heavy, unspoken weight was felt. The torch is being passed from one generation of folk storytellers to the next.
While there, Dylan meets another folk music legend, Pete Seeger (Edward Norton), and this begins their friendship. Being noticed by those in the folk scene, Dylan catapulted his way into larger performances, always changing along the way.
The transition of early performances shot in smokey, small places emphasized Dylan’s rawness and closeness to his audience. As he gained fame, larger venues, brighter lights, and sold-out shows were shown with eager fans who embraced the newer face of folk music.
Overall, Chalamet delivered a solid performance as the wiry Dylan. He nailed Dylan’s raspy vocal intonation as well as his classic swagger. The movie relied heavily on musical performances to chronicle Dylan’s ascent. All of Dylan’s musical performances are done by Chalamet, an impressive feature. The viewer witnessed the rise of young Dylan through his relationships with Sylvie Russo (Elle Fanning) and fellow folk singer Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro) who occasionally joined him on stage.
Dylan’s piece in the cultural landscape is explored as well as his transition from playing folk music to rock music. This was a controversial choice made by Dylan at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival because many in the folk community, including Seeger, disapproved of his shift in music. However, legendary artist Johnny Cash, a longtime admirer of Dylan, shared his thoughts. Cash supported Dylan’s artistic freedom and encouraged him to follow his own path to allow Dylan to stay true to his own musical vision.
Scenes are highlighted with the tension of tradition alongside innovation with the performance leaving folk purists shocked. The audience reacted with an uproar and disapproval as they expected to hear Dylan’s “popular songs.” Boos echoed through the crowd and frustrated fans repeatedly threw objects at the stage, outraged with the new version of Dylan. This performance portrayed Dylan as a cultural chameleon serving as a symbol of change, creativity, and defiance.
For a final time, Dylan visited Guthrie after the festival. The closing song “Dusty Old Dust (So Long It’s Been Good to Know You)” by Guthrie is played. Dylan’s eyes fall into sorrow as he says his final goodbyes, knowing these were his last moments with Guthrie. The final shot captured Dylan leaving the hospital, riding his motorcycle down an open road. The road stretched indefinitely ahead. A moment capturing Dylan’s essence of always moving forward and reinventing.
The movie’s marketing has done a great job introducing Gen-Z to Dylan’s work. Marketing campaigns brilliantly used Chalamet’s fame to introduce younger audiences to Dylan’s legacy.
Timothée Chalamet has recently appeared on NBC’s Saturday Night Live and ESPN’s College Gameday to promote A Complete Unknown. Chalamet’s performance of “Tomorrow is a Long Time” on SNL sent Dylan’s version into the top 30 on the charts, as of January 2025, reflecting new interest in his music.
A Complete Unknown is poised to not only celebrate Dylan’s influence but also ignite a broader appreciation for folk music in contemporary culture.
