Film director James Mangold premiered the highly anticipated movie, “A Complete Unknown” in December, which was a biographical film on the early days of musical legend, Bob Dylan.

“A Complete Unknown” has brought many young viewers into the world of Bob Dylan. 

Fans need to now take a deeper dive by watching director Todd Haynes’s “I’m Not There” from 2007 that takes quite a different approach to Dylan’s legacy.

Rated R for nudity and moderate profanity and drug use, six different actors portray Bob Dylan at different stages of his life in this two hour and fifteen minute piece. “I’m Not There” is also shot in different styles of cinema, alternating from black and white and color. The actors playing Dylan aren’t called “Bob Dylan,” they are each given different names. Christian Bale, who plays Dylan in his early folk music years, is named Jack Rollins. Cate Blanchett, who plays Dylan when he went electric in 1965, is named Jude Quinn. Heath Ledger’s character’s name is Robbie Clark, playing Dylan when he was married in the late 1960’s. Ben Whishaw plays Dylan in his late teenage years when he

was fascinated with french poet Arthur Rimbaud and is even given the same name. Richard Gere plays Dylan when he lived off the grid for several years after the motorcycle crash and is named Billy the Kid. Marcus Carl Franklin plays Dylan when he was a kid and is named Woody.

The film takes many creative liberties, but not because of mixed up facts.  There are many quotes in the film that Dylan actually said, mainly the quotes from Jude Quinn. Quotes such as: 

“I figured there’s a little boo in all of us.” 

“Sorry for everything I’ve done, I hope to remediate soon.” 

“How am supposed to answer that if you got the nerve to ask me?! You got a lot of nerve asking me a question like that! You ask the Beatles that?!” 

“I’m not questioning you because I don’t expect any answers from you!”

“Either be groovy or leave man!”

“Puffing heavily on his cigarettes, he smokes 80 a day. God, can’t be me.”

All of these quotes are real quotes that Dylan said in interviews, video documentaries like, “Don’t look back” and “Eat the Document.” There are many other real from other characters as well.

While there are six different actors playing different versions of Bob Dylan, it is Cate Blanchett’s performance that

stands out the most since she’s the one who looks the most like Dylan. Todd Haynes wanted to cast a woman for the role of Bob Dylan (Jude Quinn) for the electric era due to Dylan’s androgynous style in 1965 and 1966. He thought that actress Cate Blanchett was the perfect match due  to her sharp looks, delicate fingers and build. The Jude Quinn scenes are set in New England between 1965 and ’66, referencing Bob Dylan’s tour in New England around the same time. The Jude Quinn scenes revolve around the backlash that Dylan got going electric, the constant battles with the press and Dylan’s drug use. There is a scene that recreates the show in Paris where an audience member called Dylan a “Judas.” There’s even a scene that resembles the San Francisco press conference in 1965, except in the movie it’s set in New England. 

Some may ask why would Todd Haynes make a Bob Dylan movie this way.

The answer’s simple: Bob Dylan is one of those artists where, when you think you have him figured out, he suddenly changes. 

He’s a poet, protestor, folk singer, rock n roller, actor,  father and painter, among several other things. He’s a man who’s personality shifts as the decades go by. “I’m Not There” captures that beautifully.

Some may argue that “I’m Not There” isn’t a

biopic. The truth is, it’s both a biopic and a fictional story. The opening credits doesn’t say “Based on the many lives of Bob Dylan,” it says “Inspired by the many lives of Bob Dylan.” It’s a film that has characters with similar lives as Dylan. Jack Rollins being a protest folk singer in the early 1960s. Jude Quinn being a folk singer with an electric guitar and band behind him, upsetting his fans and being frowned upon by the press. Robbie Clark being a father and husband who spends too much time away from home due to his acting career. Billy the kid being an outlaw living off the grid. All of the lives of the characters presented in the film are characters that have similar lives to Bob Dylan.

While the film contains Dylan’s music as part of the soundtrack and Dylan is play by multiple actors, he is simply not there while also permeating every aspect of the film at the same time.