Mad Ramblings of a Movie Geek 04.02.09: Rock Biopics Week 3
Posted by Jordan Bruns on 04.02.2009
The third and final week of Rock Biopics...
Welcome to this week's Mad Ramblings of a Movie Geek! My last two columns have been about rock biopics. I intended for last week to be the third and final week devoted to that category. Unfortunately, I had a severe upset stomach and was unable to fulfill my obligation. Thus, there was no Mad Ramblings last week. However, I'm happy to report that my ailment is behind me. Last night I ate my first real meal in over a week. I think I lost some of my much-hated paunch too.
This week there are, once again, only two movies that made the cut. I prefer to break such lists up rather than do one long, drawn out article, so sometimes my entries here on 411 are short and sweet. This week's entries include a film about one of the most bizarre rock idols to ever live, and an artist who is revered by everyone from country fans to goth kids. Here now, is the conclusion of my foray into rock bios… Rock Biopics, Week 3…
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I touched on this movie a few weeks ago in my column on Embodying the Subject, but it was only to rave about Val Kilmer's immaculate portrayal of Jim Morrison. How does the rest of the movie stack up? First of all, much of it is the product of Oliver Stone's imagination, despite him swearing that it's the "true" story. To a fan of The Doors and Morrison like myself, there are some scenes that will make you angry when you think that are actually people out there who think what they're seeing is the real story. However, as a movie fan, I can appreciate it. The Doors is not a movie, it's an experience. It's less about Morrison as man than it is about him as a spiritual traveler, one who "lives in the subconscious" and seeks to attain a higher level of existence than this mortal coil will allow. Was he a madman? Was he really possessed by the spirit of a dead Native American he saw lying on the road as a young child? Did he have a death wish? Oliver Stone's vision of Morrison seems to lean slightly towards the affirmative to all of those questions. But once again, it's important to remember that this is not a biography- it's simply Oliver Stone giving a two hour and twenty minute dissertation on who he thought Jim Morrison was. Stone's main plotting weakness is that he doesn't seem too sure who he thought Morrison was. Still, it's a helluva ride, and Kilmer's performance and the dynamic soundtrack make it all worth it in the end.
My Mad Ramblings
Coming one year after Taylor Hackford's Ray, Johnny Cash gets the biopic treatment from director James Mangold. Walk the Line follows traces Johnny Cash's life from his childhood to his famed concert at Folsom Prison, but what it mainly focuses on is the relationship between Cash and June Carter. Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon are magnetic in the lead roles, with Phoenix virtually transforming himself into the Man in Black, singing and all. What makes this such a unique biopic is the way it focuses on Cash's life. It's less about his legend and more about his troubled life, though naturally, some liberties were taken. Like Ray, Walk the Line does not glamorize the life of its subject- Johnny Cash is shown as a real human being with real issues. What ultimately emerges onscreen is an engaging story of a talented but insecure man who is rescued from the doldrums of addiction and childhood trauma by a close friendship that slowly blossoms into true love.
That's it for this week's Mad Ramblings. I hope you've all enjoyed my exploration of this topic.
