Feeling awe is not just an emotional response, but a physical one as well. If you’ve been brainstorming moments in your life where you’ve experienced awe, try looking for things you’ve done, places you’ve been, things you’ve seen, that have inspired a physical response; something like crying, getting goosebumps, there’s been a feeling of electricity in your spine or you’ve gotten chills.
- January 17, 2025, Portland, Oregon
A Complete Unknown, a movie that follows Bob Dylan through his beginnings as a folk artist to his controversial shift to the integration and use of electric instruments, has been out for over a month. My friends and I had been talking about going for a while, and on a crisp Friday night, we finally made it happen.
After getting dinner together at Urban German Wursthaus (which, 10/10 would recommend), we drove over to St. Johns Twin Cinemas for the evening showing. After we bought our tickets, with drinks and snacks in hand, we made our way to the smaller upstairs theatre.
I’ve been aware of Bob Dylan my whole life. My parents have listened to him for as long as I can remember, and his music fits like a well worn glove; comforting, safe. I’m well versed in some of the hits; think Masters of War, The Times They Are A-Changin’, Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright, but it’s almost embarrassing to admit that’s about where my familiarity ended.
I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this film, but it blew me away. I don’t mean to get too movie-reviewish with this, but I have to say, the acting, music, and overall design was all spectacular. The fact that Timothée Chalamet did all his own singing, as well as actually learning to play the guitar and harmonica is insane, and so impressive. The chemistry between Chalamet, Monica Barbaro, who played Joan Baez, and Elle Fanning, who was Sylvie Russo, was so natural and compelling. In the final scene, during Dylan’s final visit with Woody Guthrie (played by Scoot McNairy), I almost cried.
But for me, the moment in this movie that left me genuinely awestruck was in his first performance at the 1964 Newport Folk Festival, where he sings The Times They Are A-Changin’. I got crazy chills on my arms, the back of my neck and the sides of my head. My spine lit up with a white hot electricity listening to this song that’s always been so moving and powerful and watching it take control of a crowd. I was near tears, and this total physical response was something I wasn’t expecting at all. It was such a beautiful, big moment, and it really struck a chord with me.
I went home and listened to nothing but Bob Dylan for a week straight.
If you haven’t gone and seen this movie, I highly recommend it. Even if A Complete Unknown doesn’t have the same impact on you that it did on me, it’s still an excellent movie. Music is one of the 8 categories that generally inspire wonder (Moral Beauty, Effervescence, Nature, Music, Visual Design, Spirituality, Epiphany, Life + Death) which is a big part of why this spoke to me so much, but I think the context surrounding Bob Dylan and what his music meant, and continues to mean. The themes of social change, love and injustice all continue to be highly relevant, and the way he’s able to articulate these things is spectacular and profound.
Wait in awe for part III.
