Carrie Bradbury, Review Desk Lead
Biographical pictures, more commonly called biopics, are a type of film that focuses on the story of a single person's life. These films often focus on a specific time period or event, which may have been eye-opening, life-changing, or, in the worst cases, career-ending for the main character of the film. Biopics about musicians often center on an album or tour that was particularly important to that artist's career, providing viewers with an elaborate, meticulously-cultivated backstory of the production and performance of that album. Watching a biopic about a musician can leave an everlasting impact on how you listen to their songs, giving you a sense of perspective and deeper connections to the music.
Trailer Creds: 20th Century Studios
Photo Creds: Carolina Theatre
The movie poster shows Bruce Springsteen (Jeremy Allen White) playing a concert during his 'The River' tour. Through his excellent singing and acting, White captures the magic which many fans love about Springsteen's music. White transforms Springsteen's album 'Nebraska' into more than just a compilation of songs, but a story that brings more meaning to every lyric.
"Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere" follows the story of 32-year-old Bruce Springsteen from the end of his "The River" tour to the release of his revolutionary folk-rock album, "Nebraska." The movie takes a deep look into his traumatic childhood, which is rooted in a rough relationship with his father, Douglas Springsteen (Stephen Graham), his struggles to commit to a romantic relationship with Faye Romano (Odessa Young ), and his chronic challenges with mental illness. While these subjects all carry a dark tone, the movie is still entertaining and inspirational. White gives viewers a relatable movie that spins the narrative on Springsteen's infamous album and provides reasoning for why he neither toured nor did press for 'Nebraska'.
Photo Creds: Sony Music
Due to the fact that "Atlantic City" is one of Springsteen's most beloved songs off his album "Nebraska" and it was used in every trailer for the movie, all movie viewers were expecting to hear this song in "Deliver Me From Nowhere' "While the vocals done by both Springsteen, on the original album, and White, in the movie, during this song is truly remarkable, I find the backstory of the song to be far more interesting and impressive. Springsteen originally recorded the songs of 'Nebraska' in the bedroom of a farmhouse that he was renting in his home state, New Jersey. While watching the movie, viewers learn that Springsteen's original tape for the album was created in Springsteen's house, with only his guitar, harmonica, and voice and no band. The rest of the movie follows Springsteen as he records his album with the E Street Band, tries to recreate the sound created on the original tape, and puts together an album he could be proud of. The lyrical genius of "Atlantic City" and the performance done by White make this song easily stand out as one of Springsteen's greatest hits.
Photo Creds: Empire Magazine
"I'm On Fire" is by far my favorite Bruce Springsteen song. It has shockingly intricate lyrics that are hidden under the cover of it just being a fun and catchy rock song. When paired with Springsteen's vocals and music played by the E Street Band, this song stands out among the others. This song, along with a couple others, were originally recorded to be put on the "Nebraska" album but were cut by Springsteen. The album tells the story of his childhood, love life, and personal trauma. In 1982, Springsteen was trying to escape writing songs just for them to be hits in the rock scene and was searching for a deeper tie to music. This is why "I'm On Fire" didn't make the cut for "Nebraska," but it was still released only 2 years later on "Born in the U.S.A." While this song isn't directly featured in the movie, it is a symbol for what Springsteen was running away from. White tells the story of Springsteen's mental health and traumatic past through his portayal of Springsteen creating his album "Nebraska." While producers wanted "I'm On Fire" to be included on the hit album, I find it to be far more fitting on "Born in the U.S.A."
A Complete Unknown follows the story of young Bob Dylan (Timothée Chalamet) as he is learning how to compose and perform his original music. The movie takes viewers through the complicated story of Dylan getting noticed by his idols, Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy) and Pete Seeger (Edward Norton), to performing at his biggest concert, Newport Folk Festival, two years in a row, and navigating his professional relationship and personal friendship with Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro). Dylan was beloved for his intricate and profound song lyrics which both inspired millions and diminished those who Dylan disliked. The movie takes viewers through the story of Bob Dylan as he goes from being a nobody guitarist and songwriter to one of the most famous artists of his time.
Trailer Creds: Searchlight Pictures
Photo Creds: Amazon
Timothée Chalamet transforms his looks and demeanor to match those of Bob Dylan. With short hair, messy curls, and an undeniably Bob Dylan wardrobe, it is hard to tell the two apart. While Chalamet's voice doesn't match the songs with the originality which Dylan does, he brings to the movie a youthful and equally powerful interpretation for each song.
Photo Creds from left to right: Come Writters and Critics, Open Culture, and Louisville Public Media
Dylan goes electric. A revolutionary idea turned into the biggest turning point in Dylan's career. During his performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, Dylan and his band played with electric instruments for the first time in front of a crowd. The electric set list was composed of three songs, "Maggie's Farm," "Like and Rolling Stone," and 'It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry." While these songs are not considered to be particularly controversial, the performance left half the crowd cheering and the other half booing. In Chalamet's recreation of this iconic performance, he captures the level of emotion felt by the audience, festival managers, and Dylan himself. "Like a Rolling Stone" is one of Dylan's most iconic songs. Chalamet's performance of this song left movie viewers just as shocked as the people at the festival. The vocals done by Chalamet were at the same level as Dylan's and brought a new interpretation of the song to life. "Like a Rolling Stone" was one of the best performances done by Chalamet in the whole movie. While this is not my favorite song, it is in my top 10. The lyrics themselves and the story behind this song make it particular special to me.
The relationship between Dylan and Baez was formed over their shared talent for singing and songwriting. The two got to be close friends during Dylan's first couple years of living in Greenwich village. They went on to record multiple songs and travel on tour together, singing their hit song "It Ain't Me Babe". This song is one of my favorites due to the depth of the lyrics and mixed vocals of Dylan and Baez. The chemistry between Chalamet and Barbaro perfectly matched that of Dylan and Baez. They performed perfectly together while singing "It Ain't Me Babe" at the Newport Folk Festival 1964. This particular performance was one of the best done by Chalamet in the movie. The scene brings emotion and tension to the movie, with Dylan having to choose between his relationship with Sylvie Russo (Elle Fanning) and friendship with Baez. The acting during this song and throughout the movie makes these three characters and actors stand out. The chemistry between Dylan and Baez which is perfectly recreated by Chalamet and Barbaro makes this one of my favorite songs ever written or sung live.
Trailer Creds: Warner Bros.
Photo Creds: Direstraits
Austin Butler, dressed in Elvis Presley's classic black leather with gelled hair, recreates Elvis's most famous performances with perfection. Presley's powerful voice and outrageous dance moves for the time are brought to life again in Butler's reenactment.
Elvis is about the story of Elvis Presley's (Austin Butler) life told through the point of view of his manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks). The movie starts by giving some back story of Elvis's childhood and how he first got noticed for his singing and dancing. However, the bulk of the movie is focused on the time between his first album and his last. Elvis went from being a young, poor nobody who was more infatuated with African-American gospel singing then what was on the radio to one of the most famous people in the world at the time of his peak stardom. The movie gives viewers a close up showing of what his relationships were like with Parker, Priscilla Presley (Olivia DeJonge), and Steve Binder (Darce Montgomery), along with the hundreds of other people Presley worked with throughout his career. Fame was not always easy for Presley to live with, especially not at the level of stardom which he reached. The movie does a fabulous job portraying all parts of Presley's life from singing and songwriting, to battling with mental health issues and substance abuse. Butler transformed into Presley and it was to believe you were watching 'the king of rock and roll' himself.
Photo Creds: YouTube
"Suspicious Minds" is a song, which many can assume is inspired by Presley's marriage with Priscilla, that tells the story of a failing relationship. Written in the same format as a love ballad, Presley expresses that he cannot remain in a relationship with someone who is overly concerned about him cheating. While this story does not hold true for Presley, since he did cheat on his wife multiple times while on tour, the song is an inspiration for all people going through a rough patch in their relationship. Butler is performing this song in the movie at the same time that Parker is selling his allegiance to play at the Las Vegas Hotel for the next 5 years. This scene holds a lot of emotion due to the lyrics of the song tied to the actions of Parker. Untimely, I find that "Suspicious'"earns it's spot as Presley's third most steamed song on Spotify and labeled one of the best performances in the movie.
Photo Creds: eBay
"If I Can Dream" was first performed during the '68 Comeback Special. The show was designed to be a Christmas show that would earn money for Presley and his team, but the day before the show, Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot. Presley could not support performing a Christmas show during such a tragic time for the country. Overnight he wrote "If I Can Dream" as a sign of protest to his manager Parker, who was running the whole Christmas show, and to show allegiance to African American' s protesting during the Civil Rights Movement. Butler captured the impact of this song and performance in his reenactment, not only singing the same lyrics, but using the exact same gestures Presley did during the original performance. This is my favorite song because the lyrics are inspirational on their own, but the back story makes this song even more powerful. Austin's ability to make this song just as powerful as Presley did, makes this scene one of the best in the entire movie.
"One Love" tells the story of Bob Marley (Kingsley Ben-Adir)'s rise to fame and his role in ending the Jamaican Revolution. The movie includes Marley's past, growing up without a father and a dismissive mother, how he met his wife, Rita Marley (Elle Fanning), and how fame turned his life upside down. The movie is a gut wrenching story that highlights how war shaped Marley's perception of the world. He fought to find peace in his music, something that all people could indulge in. Ben-Adir brings Bob Marley back to life, shedding light on the revolution which is Marley's song writing, while also singing and playing the guitar with perfection. "One Love" is not only a tribute to Marley's career but also a reminder of the effect which Bob Marley and the Wailers had on the world. The movie takes viewers through every emotion which were felt by the original band and the people working closely to them.
Trailer Creds: Paramount Pictures
Photo Creds: udiscovermusic
Kingsley Ben-Adir plays Jamaican musician Bob Marley as he goes from a young teenager, writing love songs and religious ballads, to becoming one of the most beloved and revolutionary musicians of all time. Marley dressed in simple, affordable clothing, a nod to his past as a poor, fatherless child. One Love dresses Ben-Adir the same way which Marley did throughout his entire career.
Photo Creds: Reggaeville
"Exodus" is Bob Marley's call to humanity through a song that is inspirational and gut wrenching at the same time. The name is also shared by the album on which the song was released. The word exodus was chosen by Marley for its catchy sound and Biblical references, which include the story of the Israelites' departure from slavery and more generally used to mean a mass departure of people. The song was used to excite people about revolution and fighting for what is right. The movie takes viewers through the story of how Marley came up with the title and wrote the corous with the help of the Wailers. Ben-Adir recreates Marley's signature dance moves and general demenour when writing songs. This song in particular was a highlight in Marley's career and was used in many settings of protest, and the movie takes a large amount of time to show the large effects of the song.
Photo Creds: The Vinyl Factory
"No Women, No Cry" is my personal favorite song by Bob Marley. It captures both the love that he has for his wife and a call to all women to feel that same amount of love in their lives. The movie uses this song to show a flashback that tells the story of Marley meeting and falling in love with Rita. The relationship between the two artists becomes complicated when Marley becomes more famous then the rest of the band, but the flashback to the past reminds the characters of where they came from and what life was like before the fame. I love this song for it's lyrics and the singing done by both Bob and Rita Marley, but more then that, I think it tells the story of millions of women living in Jamaica who haven't been as fortunate in life. The acting done by Ben-Adir and Fanning tells the story behind the lyrics. I thought that this song was included into the movie for a very important and intentional reason, to include Rita in the story of Bob Marley. And for that, I think it is both his best song in real life, and the best performance in the movie.
While this list of biopics is a compilation of my favorite artists and some of the most recent movies to get released, there are many who are equally influential. Within the category of biopics about musicians where the actors sings the songs themselves are "Rocket Man" and "Walk the Line." There have also been countless movies and documentaries made about musicians that tell the same stories which these do. However a biopic with original singing in my favorite type of storytelling. Biopics are important because they give the viewer a new point of view, the emotional side of the musical industry, which they might not experience listening to music or watching a documentary.
Links
Bruce Springsteen
Deliver Me From Nowhere Trailer
Atlantic City Live at the Academy Museum Gala
Atlantic City, Deliver Me From Nowhere Soundtrack
Bob Dylan
A Complete Unknown, It Ain't Me Babe- Dylan and Baez Newport Folk Festival 1964
It Ain't Me Babe- Dylan And Baez Live at Newport Folk Festival 1964
A Complete Unknown, Like a Rolling Stone: Dylan Goes Electric, "Judas" Newport Folk Festival 1965
Like a Rolling Stone Live at Newport Folk Festival 1965 Dylan Goes Electric
Elvis Presley
Elvis, If I Can Dream ('68 Comeback Special)
If I can Dream Live ('68 Comeback Special)
Elvis, Suspicious Minds: Las Vegas International Hotel residency
Suspicious Minds Live as Las Vegas International Hotel
Bob Marley
One Love, Exodus with the Wailers
Exodus Live at the Rainbow 4th June 1977
No Woman, No Cry Live at Rainbow 4th June 1977