urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:mvbharadwaj mvbharadwaj mvbharadwaj 2005-12-17T07:30:58Z urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:mvbharadwaj:270 2005-12-17T07:30:58Z 2005-12-17T07:30:58Z Folklore Bob Dylan—No Direction Home<br />My thoughts/response/reaction to the movie (both parts 1 and 2)<br /><br /><br /> It would be truly uncharacteristic of Martin Scorsese, if a movie by him were not aesthetic and appealing (at least to a cult audience). It thus, comes as no surprise to me to see that No Direction Home – a two-part movie that highlights the life and times of the legendary Bob Dylan—was infact directed by him (though I’d have been better off guessing it before I actually saw it in the credits). The movie brings out the true meaning of Dylan’s life without really belittling his legend (I believe that it takes a lot to get people to understand a person, without stripping him away of his mysterious persona—something that eventually gives a legend the ‘larger than life’ factor). The movie, on the contrary, only augments towards the Dylan charm.<br /> My knowledge of Dylan so far has been limited to that of listening to his famous songs—and wondering why at all they were so famous, and that of a few tidbits of information (that everybody would get to hear around). Nevertheless, I knew that there was a deadly lot to be learnt and understood about him (never really knew why, though) and could recognize him anywhere. So, in a way the movie was kind-of what I was looking for and leaped upon the chance soon as I stumbled upon it over limewire. And boy, did it live up to my expectations!!!<br /> Bob Dylan, with his trademark ruffled hair and ragamuffin persona is actually a very simple man, though a lot of people around him want to think otherwise. The reason I believe so is that people don’t really know how (or why) exactly they do the things that they do. Ask Mark Knopfler how he is able to come up with songs like that and he’ll simply stare into your eyes. He really doesn’t know! It’s when people --the ones who belong to him, or rather think so-- start making a meaning out of the things that he does, and then eventually find that he is beyond it, that the complexity increases. This beatnik, non-conformist character of Dylan has always been exemplified, not by him, but by such people. Even though I have been a prey towards this sort of understanding of many legends--Bob Dylan especially-- and believe that it is invariably the first step that one takes in creating a mentor for himself, it is essential to place things in the right perspective and grow out of such circles that threaten to confine the true meaning and essence of a ‘mentor’ or an ‘icon’. The point I’m trying to make is that people have attached too many strings into the contemporary writings of Dylan and have famously bestowed upon him the title of ‘The protest singer’ who simply articulated people’s opinions—something which nobody had done before with such effect, but nothing more. Bob Dylan certainly had a ‘pulse on his generation’ but the people had a different view of him. Expectations grew and people considered him an icon—‘their’ icon, a religious figure, looking to make him a larger than life character. This, as regarded by Bob Dylan was nonsensical and dismissed by him as ludicrous; and as I see it, goes ‘out of his way’ in his quest to prove it. He was prejudiced against the idea that he was supposed to do something just because someone expected him to do it. He even tries to convey this to such an extent that he moves on --in the later part of his life-- from the folk style, that defined most of his career into the world of rock. Though he might not have wanted this to be apparent, I believe that he did this not because the world of rock n’ roll was enticing, but only to prove that he did not like to ‘belong’ anywhere. One can judge for himself whether Dylan really made any sort of impact in the rock scene. And I’m pretty sure he knew it! He simply wanted to break away from the confines and boundaries that the masses imposed and expected of him—even that of the folklore movement that he had come to pioneer (as many believed -- except of course Dylan). The difference, that by now should be emerging, is that, people who regard him this way should find him ‘simple’ and understandable, while others who still impose expectations on him and then find him out-of-sorts would still find him enigmatic and complex. But this view of course, is an effort to demystify only the man; couple the man with his works and we still have a legend, irrespective of all the simplicity we can associate him with into making him a lesser mortal. His legend only grows as people come to understand and simplify him and his works.<br /> Bob Dylan had chosen to do what nobody else had done before his time. He reflected people’s opinions, thoughts and their feelings towards the prevalent issues of the time. The way Dylan would have it? “How can I say what others feel, it sure is what I feel”. True, it was mostly about what he felt about all the things around him, but it gains importance, as it was also what others felt. I’d like to get back to his escapades soon –as it was surely something that defined him and something that I admire him for—after looking into his works a bit. <br />((Still to come...))