Dont Look Back
Rated: NR
Runtime: 1 hour, 36 minutes
Directed by: D.A. Pennebaker
Starring: Bob Dylan, Albert Grossman, Bob Neuwirth, Joan Baez, Alan Price, Tito Burns, Donovan, Derroll Adams
I love me some Bob Dylan. It's hard to say why exactly. Maybe it's because my dad's such a big fan; maybe it's the poetry of Dylan's words; maybe it's his unique singing voice; maybe it's that he has the balls to wear that weird Harmonica necklace that make him look like a musical cyborg. Whatever it is, I love the guy's music but it's his enigmatic personality is just as fascinating and enjoyable.
I've been on a bit of a Dylan-kick lately and after watching Martin Scorsese's four-hour documentary "No Direction Home" which only began to scratch the surface of Dylan, I grabbed one of the primary documents of that film, D.A. Pennebaker's "Dont Look Back" which is raw Dylan. Before he learned how to guard himself, before his motorcycle accident, and on the verge of making a switch from folk guitar to electric guitar, this is Bob Dylan like I'd never seen before. I'd seen the playful Dylan of interview and the bemused Dylan of casual conversations, but I'd never seen What-a-Dick Dylan. The guy is borderline primadonna here but I never hated him for it. Rarely do Dylan's tempers seem to be a result of entitlement or even ego but out of fear. He seems to know what's coming as Baez walks out, fans begin to rebel, the press tries to pin him down (that one seems to get to Dylan the most), and Dylan is fighting for his freedom. Knowing what we know now, there's a delightful question at the periphery of the film and that's if Dylan knew he was going to move to electric and a major shift in his music or if he's being pushed to that by those that want to keep him labeled and in a jar.
One of my favorite scenes in the film is when Dylan's manager Albert Grossman and music agent Tito Burns are discussing what Dylan's touring price should be and how much Dylan should make. It's a mundane business moment that seems absolutely bizarre because it's such a sausage-making look at the dollars-and-cents behind a man that is considered an artist who champions folk values. And yet Dylan would rebel against such a label, whether it be as a product for consumers or champion of the individual. It's that rebellion which makes "Dont Look Back" such a compelling film for me as Dylan's rebellions moves from playful to angry to acceptance of what's coming and simply enjoying a well-performed concert at Royal Albert Hall and returning to his playful persona and joking, "Give the anarchist a cigarette."
Words by
Matt Goldberg
2.16.09