Bob Dylan Agreed to ‘A Complete Unknown’ Because James Mangold Honored This Moving Request – Collider

A Complete Unknown has officially become one of the year’s most talked-about films. James Mangold’s masterful take on the life of Bob Dylan—portrayed by Timothée Chalamet—has not only reached new heights for a musical biopic; it has garnered the all-important award buzz. But the real standout of the picture isn’t Chalamet’s take on Dylan but his muse, as Elle Fanning’s Sylvie Russo is more than just a fascinating character. In a world filled with eccentric characters, Russo acts as a beautiful proxy for the audience, helping moviegoers care for Dylan beyond the musician they already know, as they watch his rise to stardom. However, unlike many of the other characters the “Like a Rolling Stone” singer encounters throughout, Sylvie is technically fictional. But she was inspired by an incredibly important force in Dylan’s life and left an incredible legacy of her own behind.Like most biopics, A Complete Unknown takes quite a few liberties with Dylan’s story. While Sylvie is technically one such modification, she isn’t as fictional as many think. Per Rolling Stone, the character of Sylvie was inspired by Suze Rotolo, an Italian-American artist whom Dylan first met in 1961 and who was a force to be reckoned with. Rotolo, a New Yorker from birth, moved to Greenwich Village to find herself. “[…] it was to Greenwich Village that people like me went—people who knew in their souls that they didn’t belong where they came from,” Rolling Stone quoted. “I was drawn to the Village with its history of bohemia—where the writers I was reading and the artists I was looking at had lived or passed through.”Produced on a reported budget of $70 million, the Bob Dylan biopic has earned positive reviews.Much like her movie counterpart, Rotolo became Dylan’s muse—in one of the film’s more accurate sequences, Dylan met Rotolo when he performed in an all-day concert at Riverside Church. Rolling Stone claims she inspired “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right,” as well as much of his work, even famously appearing with Dylan on the iconic cover of 1963’s The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. But music and art weren’t the only things Rotolo inspired in Dylan’s life; as with Fanning’s fictional take, Rotolo was heavily involved in various social movements. According to Forbes, she was suspended from school after distributing “Stop the bomb” petitions and participated in the first-ever Civil Rights march in Washington, D.C. As stated by Rolling Stone, she got Dylan interested in civil rights after turning his attention to the murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till, which, of course, inspired his song on the subject. Sadly, the couple would part ways in 1964; however, they continued to speak of each other fondly in later years. Perhaps most telling was Dylan’s decision on how to handle her story when it came to A Complete Unknown.When it came time to start making A Complete Unknown, Bob Dylan himself had a very specific request for director James Mangold. The two had been through quite a lot together, including an abortion, as well as an extended distance when Rotolo went on an eight-month trip to Italy, yet Rotolo’s life was kept largely private. “It was a character who I felt—and I think Bob very much agreed when we talked early on—was the only one who wasn’t a celebrity and an icon in and of themselves with a kind of public persona,” Mangold reflected. Sadly, Rotolo passed away in February 2011, thus the decision to change her name for the movie was likely the right one. Still, the film completely honors Rotolo’s legacy.Russo is an easy character to fall in love with and is key to crafting the film’s gorgeous romance. It additionally honors the amazing work she did for people all around the world. Rotolo involved herself in some of the most meaningful causes of all time and helped bring them into the public consciousness through Dylan—a sort of legacy that cannot be understated. Sylvie Russo may be a creative liberty of sorts, but the legacy of Suze Rotolo lives on through her, through the music she inspired, the art she created, and the love she brought to the world.A Complete Unknown is now playing in theaters across the U.S.Your changes have been savedEmail is sentEmail has already been sentA Complete Unknown: Set in the vibrant New York music scene of the early 1960s, the film follows the journey of 19-year-old Minnesota musician Bob Dylan. It captures his rapid ascent from a budding folk singer to a prominent figure in concert halls and on the charts, highlighting his impact on the music world.Buy TicketsWe want to hear from you! Share your opinions in the thread below and remember to keep it respectful.Your comment has not been savedSorry, I didn’t care for the movie. First, I had thought it would be more about his life and career start to finish, which it wasn’t. Second, it portrayed Dylan as a spoiled, self-centered, moody and entitled, unfaithful, star. He acted as though he was drugged throughout much of the movie. It just wasn’t that entertainimg to me and definitely not fun.Miscast and mistold or box-office gold?Surely the real lives were more interesting than these movies let on. Don’t miss these hidden gems.The most heart-pounding prehistoric peril “What? No!” These lines are a dream.

Source: https://collider.com/elle-fanning-a-complete-unknown-bob-dylan/