‘Not There’ redefines biopic

Jessica Lowe

Staff Writer

“I’m Not There” avoids the path traveled by other biopics like “Ray” and “Walk the Line” — films which have been satirized for their tendency to deify their subjects. Instead it is an exploration of the Bob Dylan legend from every angle imaginable.

In fact, no character named Bob Dylan is featured in the film. Writer and director Todd Haynes instead chooses to focus on characters born from the myth of Dylan.

Representing tall-tale versions of Dylan are Richard Gere as Billy the Kid and Marcus Carl Franklin, an African-American teenager, as Woody Guthrie.

Guthrie is an incarnation of Dylan in his formative years. A juvenile delinquent on the run, his considerable charm gets him as far as his talent does as he rides the railcars carrying a guitar labeled “This Machine Kills Fascists.”

Shot in black and white are Jude Quinn (Cate Blanchett) and Arthur Rimbaud (Ben Whishaw).

Rimbaud is the enigmatic poet. His single scene, in a stark white room, is sprinkled throughout the film as a kind of sardonic commentary on the other characters.

Jude Quinn is Dylan at the height of his fame, when he is most resistant to expectation. Most of Jude’s scenes are recreations of the 1967 documentary “Don’t Look Back” by D. A. Pennebaker. Blanchett’s portrayal is dead on, duly earning her an Academy Award nomination for the role.

The narrative turns to a pseudo-mockumentary with the introduction of Jack Rollins (Christian Bale) and Robbie Clark (Heath Ledger).

Rollins is Dylan in his political folk song days, while Clark is a movie star who cannot escape the role that made him famous as Rollins.

Perhaps the least connected to Dylan, Bale and Ledger’s character still offer intriguing interpretations of his love life as well as his transforming identity.

The motley ensemble is a cohesive blend of the larger-than-life myths surrounding Dylan and the man himself.

Disregarding the conventions of film, music and reality just as Dylan himself might do, “I’m Not There” is an ingenious tribute and a viewing experience that is not to be missed.