It’s not every day my son asks to hang out with me, so when he does I cancel everything and make time. When he asked me to go see the film A Complete Unknown, a story of the early years of Bob Dylan, the timing was perfect. I needed some creative inspiration; I was feeling tangled up in blue.
There is no one in my life who grounds me like that boy of mine, who is now a man of his own. His character is loyal and true, and his perspective on life offers a well of deep thoughts that he covers with dark humour, offering brevity in the most intense moments. An old soul with a young spirit.
There was nobody in the world I’d rather see this film with. We share a deep passion for music of diverse genres, often introducing one another to different artists and sounds. What I appreciate most is that even if we don’t always like the same music, we respect why the other likes it and stay open-minded. Somewhere in there we blend our influences and find harmony in what we relate to.
My son also got the musical gene that skipped over me. He has the skill to explore his creativity strumming a guitar, solving mysteries by ear, learning to interpret the sounds while discovering new ones. I admire that.
Though neither of us are Dylan groupies, we both know the impact of his music, not only on his generation, but also as an influence of the musicians that followed in his wake, some of the artists we admire most.
Of course I loved this film, even though I know it’s a fictional adaptation and characterization of some legends of music, like Woody Guthrie, Johnny Cash, Joan Baez and Peter Seeger. My inner beatnik was snapping her fingers. But my rock ‘n’ roll heart loved the rebellion from acoustic folk to electric guitar and the commitment for an artist to explore their art for the sake of the art, not the fame. Courage in art is literally the point of art. Dylan taught us that.
My wordsmith heart was in awe of the poetry that Dylan himself has explained as divinely gifted. His lyrics have the same impact today as they did the day he penned them. They remain open to interpretation, yet rooted in truths that humanity foolishly continues to relearn. The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind.
The man is an enigma in life and art. That’s the whole point of Bob Dylan. He doesn’t need to be understood. His brilliant contributions to culture are enduring, a mystery of creativity that I never want to solve.
In a world of political and economic chaos, celebrity culture and baseless social media fame, there are authentically talented icons who wouldn’t dare accept that word as a title, though their imprint on our culture has influenced generations. We need the words of Bob Dylan now as much as ever.
When the movie ended, I looked over at my son to see his reaction. Our feeling was mutual: we had just witnessed a great film about a prolific artist that didn’t paint any falsehoods, fictional but with layers of truths that inspired us all the same; me to write more, my son to practice guitar more.
Yes, the times, they are a changing, but we are both grateful to have lived in the time of Bob Dylan.
