Monday, August 27, 2007
The Greatest Bob Dylan Cult Film Ever Made
by Ryan of the RSL blog
An RSL Special


Our story focuses squarely on the diminutive frame of Bob Dylan. It's a story about a rogue, a hero, a fiend, and a kid on the rise. The legend describes a promising star turned scapegoat, a lover and a sinner. The folk fable tells of a cowboy, our reluctant savior, a guitar player, a shadow of his former self, the revitalized immortal, a college dropout. Dylan is a god, a man, a song-writer in solitude. H*ll, he's been considered all of these at one time or another. The Dylan Story, importantly, isn't just about Bob - it's about all of us; our perceptions of the man and his legend. You see, even if you don't like the man or his music - you surely must understand that we all live in the Bob Dylan Age.

An important and dashingly creative new film, "I'm Not There," looks at Bob's long and winding career, the impact of his music, the legendary interviews with their barbed quips, the tall tales - the mythical falsehoods! "I'm Not There" is the Bob Dylan cult film for three generations. Dylan's shifting character will be played by SIX different actors - each capturing an aspect of the legend during different stages of his career. Can you say "genius?" The Dylan players: Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, Richard Gere, Cate Blanchett(!), Marcus Carl Franklin and Ben Whishaw.

I'm Not There, set to be released in November in the United States, doesn't dare claim to present the whole truth. In fact, the film pokes fun at the larger-than-life version of the stories surrounding Dylan... What this film looks to have then isn't honesty, or answers - but charisma and character. Those are qualities Dylan has in spades.