‘A Complete Unknown’ takes viewers back to the 1960s

Category: Blu-ray's and DVD's
Category: Television and Streaming

A Complete Unknown delves into the life and times of Bob Dylan. The film is filled with music from the early 1960s, mainly focusing on folk music of the time.

Timothé Chalamet stars as Dylan and portrays him with the style and attitude of the songwriter/musician. His performance will have viewers believing he is Bob Dylan.

The movie begins with Dylan coming to New York City to meet his idol Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy) who is in the hospital suffering with Huntington’s disease. It’s there where he also meets Pete Seeger (Edward Norton) who is impressed with the young man and brings him into his home.

Seeger than acts as a mentor to Dylan, who is only 19-years old at the time. His talent impresses both Seeger and Guthrie. 

Dylan then meets Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro) who has a challenging relationship with him through the years. Even while Dylan is in a relationship with Sylvie Russo (Elle Fanning), he carries on with Baez.

Seeger and the “folk music” gang in Greenwich Village are a close group and support each other in every endeavor. And Seeger along with some others began the Newport Folk Festival where they all performed their songs for an increasing number of fans as the festival grew through the years.

When Dylan grew tired of playing his same songs he felt trapped and took a different direction. He added an electric guitar to his repertoire, which to some faithful folk fans was a no-no. But Dylan was a rebel and his last performance a Newport was legendary in the music business. The crowd was not happy with his new direction but slowly warmed to his new sound.

The meteoric rise of Bob Dylan and his relationship with other musicians of the time plays out against the backdrop of the music and feelings of the early 1960s.

Dylan was not the only rebel in the group. Johnny Cash (Boyd Holbrook) encouraged him to sing with his heart and the true folk music that began his career soon morphed into a new sound.

Bonus features on the digital and Blu-ray/4K/DVDs include several aspects of making the film. They actually filmed it on location in New Jersey as that provided a more realistic representation of NYC in the 1960s. Another fun fact is that Dylan had an insert sewn into the legs of his Levis jeans to make room for his boots. As they say, he might have started the bell-bottom fad of the time. 

For fans of the moody, sullen Bob Dylan and the beginning of the folk era, this is a film to watch.

The movie is rated R for language. Plus there is a lot – and I do mean a lot – of smoking. But this is an accurate representation of the time.

A Complete Unknown is now available on Digital and will be available on discs April 7, 2025.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.

Images courtesy Searchlight Pictures