1 of 5 | Timothée Chalamet attends the premiere of the biographical drama “A Complete Unknown” Dec. 10. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
Timothée Chalamet and Edward Norton, who play Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger, respectively, in the movie A Complete Unknown, in theaters Wednesday, said they came to no further understanding about Dylan himself through making the film.
However, the actors agreed that the mystery of Dylan contributes to the greatness of his music. The film follows Dylan from 1961 through his controversial electric performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. Advertisement
“I think Bob was focused on his rhythm, his art in a sense,” Chalamet, 28, said at a virtual press conference. “He’s about his work and his music.”
Chalamet plays Dylan from ages 20 to 24, during which time he wrote songs like “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “The Times They Are A-Changin’ and “Girl From the North Country.” Those songs made Dylan famous and became anthems of the ’60s protest movements. Advertisement
Seeger was there when Dylan visited Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy) in the hospital in 1961. Seeger initially mentored Dylan, giving him a place to stay and helping him perform at the Newport Festival.
Norton, 55, said Dylan’s refusal to analyze his own work in interviews showed a profound understanding of the importance of mystery.
“Somehow as a 22-year-old, he understood that there was no value in answering these questions,” Norton said. “To be 22 and flip it back on people and say, ‘I don’t know what it means. I wrote it. What do you think it means?’ That’s a mystic. That’s a shaman.”
Though Chalamet researched the role, including learning how to sing and play guitar and harmonica, he said he was not seeking to explain Dylan either.
“These characters in American pop culture like Bob, and Frank Ocean, these people that are as talented as they are unknown, leave them be,” Chalamet said.
Norton agreed that despite his admiration for Dylan, he would not want to learn any more than Dylan cares to present publicly.
“I don’t want to meet him,” Norton said. “I don’t want to know him. I don’t want to know anything about what’s in his mind or makes him tick because it’ll only reduce the potency of what he’s given me.” Advertisement
Chalamet did visit Minnesota, where Dylan played early gigs in Minneapolis. But, the actor said he was not researching specific places from Dylan’s past.
“I really just wanted to put myself in the environment, the weather, the roads, the iron ore that gives him that grit in that voice,” Chalamet said “It was a process of osmosis.”
Chalamet said he had years to prepare for the film’s music, more than he’d ever had to prepare for a role. He also sang in last year’s musical Wonka.
He again referred to the musical training as osmosis, absorbing Dylan and the sound of ’60s folk. Chalamet reminded viewers that he and his co-stars are not trying to duplicate the real artists.
“If you want to listen to the real music, you listen to the legend that is Bob Dylan and the legend that is Joan Baez,” Chalamet said. “We were humble interpreters trying to bring life to something very special that happened 60-70 years ago.”
Director James Mangold filmed the actors performing the songs live, instead of the common practice of lip syncing to pre-recorded tracks. Mangold also directed the 2005 Johnny and June Carter Cash biopic Walk the Line, from which he applied valuable experience to A Complete Unknown. Advertisement
Mangold said that editors and sound recordists warned him that the sound would be poor and different takes would not cut together. Had he not already done it with Walk the Line, Mangold said, he might have listened to them.
“My hats off to Timmy because he was the one who’s like, ‘I just want to do it.’ and he did,” Mangold said. “All I did was run interference for him.”
Timothée Chalamet, Elle Fanning attend ‘A Complete Unknown’ premiere
Star Timothée Chalamet attends the premiere of biographical drama “A Complete Unknown” in Los Angeles on December 10, 2024. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
