Bob Dylan - No Direction Home

What a scary experience this is, seeing Dylan's life as practically single train of thought, from the early days all the way to an early peak in his career. When you see what an elfin, vulnerable guy he really is it makes the story all the more amazing. He was no more ready to stand up to the onslaught of criticism than any of us, but somehow he withstood it and came out stronger. Dylan was a hero of mine before this; now even more so.

Can Scorsese do no wrong? Take a look at Last Waltz if you haven't already. Dig Dylan in that snappy hat!

One of the main treats is the wonderful, rare archival footage of 50's-era Hibbing, early 60's Greenwich Village, and numerous original pathfinders of the genre that would become branded by the recording industry as folk music.

The first disk is the most interesting, and provides a background of how the artist was created. From his beginnings as a youth in Hibbing, listening late into the night to performers on distant AM stations, he latches onto their sounds, and the musician-composer begins to develop. We see a great artist growing not in a vacuum, but rather through a compulsion to consume and digest everything around him, and to experiment without boundaries. His extrication from the drab canons of Hibbing becomes as inevitable as the sunrise.

The running narrative by the present-day Dylan lends an autobiographical sense to the documentary. What is revealed is not just the events, but also how he felt about those tumultuous years, a viewpoint available only now that he feels comfortable openly reflecting on these experiences.

Viewers may find the scenes of Dylan in his post-acoustic concerts with The Band a little drawn out, and some of these performances do seem dreadful. The audiences clearly thought so, and perhaps that is the way the filmmaker thought you might react. This is what Dylan eventually became, right before his motorcycle accident. You are left to decide for yourself whether, at that point in time, he had descended from his best work.

Bob Dylan sings about us. He lets us in on his childhood to struggle to learn styles to a break at Columbia Records and his instant fame which was not an instant at all.

He sings about individuals. He lets us know as he used to do the rounds of Cafes at New York's Village where he decided to strike a chord with at least one listener. Aiming to target his audience out, he further enhanced his skills and style learning as much in 2 months in the Village as someone may learn in a lifetime of playing music.

If Dylan sold his dirt I would buy it. I am that obsessed with his persona and music.

This documentary does a great job and bringing us his roots. Incredible footage of not just Dylan but that of those artists who inspired him to be what he is. Most of all his love of Woody Gunthrie's music. He grew up from a small town nobody to a National and International sensation.

A man with his voice at that time couldn't even make a buck, while Dylan with his choice of words and topics revolutionised the entire Music Industry.

Country music or mainstream - he is a Rock Star like no other.

Still counting he is publishing more records and setting new standards. Martin Scorcese lets us visit the humble star who talk candidly about his meetings, performances, influences and success. Truly magical world revealed here as we see how from Jack Kerouac's On the Road to a book on Woody Gunthrie feels like home to the teenage Dylan.

A world of misfits and he fits at ease in it. Thinking what others can't dream of, he merges and weaves and intertwines styles and stories to make an incredible form of music with unmatched pace.

This is true homage to the legend that is Bob Dylan.

Thank You "whomever it may concern" for this documentary.

Director Scorsese's masterful portrait of poet/musician Bob Dylan's rise, leading up to the serious 1966 motorcycle accident that signaled a prolonged hiatus from touring. Intimate film makes it evident that Dylan would have taken a break from public performances anyhow, as his mid-sixties tour in England was met with hostility every time the singer picked up an electric guitar, further straying from his sacred folk roots. Fascinating sixties time capsule, and revealing meditation on artistic integrity and the nature of fame.

This documetary was absolutely fascinating and very well executed in every way. That being said, the only thing that was a slight disappointment was that this masterful filmmaker either couldn't or chose not to cover the entire breadth of the career of this truly compelling artist. It covers only the 1960's; granted the time when Dylan was at probably at the peak of his creative powers, but that is only equal to about 1/4 the whole story. At a running time of almost 4 hours, I personally would have liked to see a more complete portrait of the man & his life. That is my only complaint, though. I can still say this film was nothing less than absoluetly riveting and one of the best documetaries I have ever seen and probably ever will see.