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 Bob
Dylan is perhaps the greatest living songwriter today. His
story has been told and retold - at least from other peoples'
perspectives. Martin Scorsese's No Direction Home: Bob
Dylan, takes the story of Bob Dylan right to the source.
The result is a thoughtful documentary that not only traces
the history of the singer, but his roots and his impact as
well. And there's tons of archival footage to boot.
There's
no arguing Dylan's stripped down folk songs are among the
most influential music of modern times. He encouraged his
listeners to act, ponder the changing times of the 1960s and
1970s, to become active in life rather than passively trudging
along. Dylan actually was the rebel James Dean became synonymous
for.
 But
it wasn't just the music that made Bob Dylan so appealing.
It was the whole package he evoked. He played to the camera,
challenged its purpose. In the process he elevated his own
character and mystique.
No
Direction Home isn't
the first time Dylan has been the focus of a major documentary.
D.A. Pennebaker's Don't Look Back caught the singer
just as he was starting to emerge as a superstar. It was a
fly-on-the-wall piece of cinema verité that was more
Bob Dylan as an enigmatic character rather than Bob Dylan
as a person. He played to the camera, which, in turn, added
to his mystique.
While
Don't Look Back was filmed as Dylan was emerging, No
Direction Home explores him reflectively. Let's face it,
time is going to catch up to him sooner than later. Scorsese
is able to get the info straight from the source rather than
chasing after "friends" in a postmortem synopsis.
Sure, friends make an appearance here but it's to help flesh
out the intimate portrait Dylan himself provides.
 Even
without seeing No Direction Home, it's pretty obvious
that Dylan is a character. So it would be somewhat of a waste
to simply focus on that perspective. Instead Scorsese digs
deeper, exploring Dylan's musical roots and looking at the
specifics of his accomplishments.
Framed
by tons of rare footage, No Direction Home penetrates
the soul of one of modern music's greatest icons - at least
as much as Dylan will let us.
©Movie
Views; October 6, 2006
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