Columnist Susan Wozniak: Dylan film resonates with time, place
Published: 01-24-2025 7:01 AM |
In the last week before Christmas, among women definitely over 55, “the Bob Dylan film” became a subject of discussion. I knew nothing about “A Complete Unknown” with TimothéeChalamet cast as Bob. Having seen his work, I was interested. However, would this be a movie with an actor who neither sang nor played an instrument? There is always something generally awkward about dubbing.
There is none of that in “A Complete Unknown.” I realized Timothée and Monica Barbaro (Joan Baez) were singing and playing. Neither Monica nor Boyd Holbrook (Johnny Cash) had played any instruments before and were subject to five months of tutoring.
Edward Norton played banjo, but in a different style than Pete Seeger, which meant he, too, practiced. I had seen Pete in person as well as on television programs. Norton impressively captured Pete’s body language and his speaking voice as well.
There was more to my enjoyment than the great casting. I cried in a few places but I cannot describe when and why. My reaction was personal. Remember I said that my friends were over 55? We’re baby boomers and the time frame represented by this film marked the emergence of a generation.
As the real-life Bob and Joan and Pete were entertaining us through their appearances and recordings, I visited New York for the first time.
I was a junior at a new Catholic high school in 1964. The faculty, which consisted largely of teaching sisters, wanted our school to make its mark. The sisters were in charge of the chorus, the biology department and, for this story, the student paper. I was one of 10 students who spent time with the paper. Our school was invited to send students to a journalism convention sponsored by the New York Times and held at a university in western New York state.
After attending the program, we were given the time to go into the city to visit the World’s Fair. Three of us — Kate, Jack and me — took up the offer. Two members of the lay faculty chaperoned. Kate suggested she and I stay with the girls’ gym coach, a veteran of travel in and about NYC. We would meet Jack and his chaperone only at dinner.
We three immediately took off for the World’s Fair and mounted the moving floor that carried us past the Madonna dellaPietà, more widely known as La Pietà, the only sculpture bearing Michelangelo’s signature.
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We walked the fairgrounds and visited several displays, but I do not remember what we saw. How much memory stays fresh over 61 years?
We met up with the final two members of our small group. Where we had dinner is also lost, but, we did go to the Peppermint Lounge, home to the Twist, a dance that was banned at our school. The Lounge’s time was over, although the first lady, Jackie Kennedy had loved the dance and visited the venue during its glory days. By the time we entered the Lounge, it was a sad place, with an ancient wooden floor, empty tables and dim lighting. We drank Coca-Cola and left.
We didn’t have much time on our second day. Our chaperone insisted we see “America’s Parish Church,” the largest of the Catholic cathedrals in the nation. I had already left the Catholic faith in my mind, but I am left with a vague memory of lighting a candle.
Our chaperone had asked us where we wished to visit more than anything else. Kate, a budding artist, said, “The Guggenheim. It will give us both art and architecture.” A museum lover, I immediately agreed.
After we entered, Kate suggested we go to the top of the museum and walk slowly down. I do not remember that we spoke. I remember the slowness of our descent. I remember the colors hanging in their frames against the white walls.
When we reconnected with the rest of our small party, we walked through Washington Square. We heard no music but we saw couples, all a bit older than we were. We overheard bits of conversation. We heard their laughter. Recalling the scene, I feel they were nearly ready to take their places on the world stage. Kate, Jack and I still had time to wait.
Susan Wozniak has been a caseworker, a college professor and journalist. She is a mother and grandmother.