It’s never good to hear that advance screenings for an upcoming film are being cancelled, which apparently is the case for what all writers are obliged to describe as the unconventional Bob Dylan biopic, “I’m Not There.” Still, no necessity to jump to conclusions. A couple of responses to a previous post about the film:

Thanks to Rob, for this:

I agree with your comments on the upcoming film. I’m
not very interested in myths about Dylan myself. Looks
like one myth that will be perpetuated rather than
squashed is that Dylan’s Christianity was a mere
phase, as is the impression I got from the following:

THE FREEWHEELIN’ BOB

Era: Emerging folk icon, 1963

Character: Jack

Actor: Christian Bale

Telling details: The brown suede jacket, which Dylan
wore on the cover of “Freewheelin’,” and the mod
studio background give it all away. It’s Bob just as
he began to be known for writing his own songs, such
as “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna
Fall.” The character’s name is likely a reference to
his friend and mentor, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott. Bale
also appears in the movie as John (as in John the
Baptist), who represents Dylan’s dabbling in
Christianity during the release of 1979’s “Slow Train
Coming.”

Yes, that sure was some “dabbling” he did. Still, we can hope the offhand reference by this particular critic is not a reflection of its offhanded or demeaning representation in the film.

On a not dissimilar note, Sue observes:

ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER

Era: Biblical Bob, 1968

Character: Bob Dylan

Actor: Heath Ledger

Telling details: At this point, Bob’s already crashed his motorcycle, has
taken to reading the Bible and has spawned four kids with wife Sara
(Charlotte Gainsbourg).

——————————————————

Hmmmmm. Correct me if I’m wrong but I think Bob was well acquainted with his
Bible long before 1968. I wonder if this is what the film actually suggests
or just another example of a journo not knowing his subject matter (again).

Besides the fact that it has Richard Gere and Heath Ledger in it - which
STILL bothers the hell out of me - I share your concern about the Dylan
myths being overworked. I think I’ll wait until it comes to my local rental
shop as I have a horrible feeling that I may do some innocent member of the
public some damage if I see it in a cinema … mostly because it has Richard
Gere and Heath Ledger in it.

The stories about Dylan openly reading the Bible (what a thought) around the time of John Wesley Harding are fairly common if not clichéd at this point, so clearly that’s where the part of the movie described above draws its inspiration from. But he was not exactly unfamiliar with scripture before that, as evidenced by his canny use of it in his lyrics. It’s an example, I suppose, of how this film seems to be going out of its way to portray Dylan in his various different stages as being a completely different person, rather than simply being one person with many different sides who, well, grew and developed and aged as people generally do, albeit under highly visible cirumstances. But that appears to be the underlying conceit of the film: Dylan is everyone and no one, as the titles in the trailer proclaim. At the same time as I think that this is basically ridiculous, it also might potentially be carried off in an artful, entertaining and interesting manner. So, I go on hoping.

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