they lost 'em. no reenactments.
they covered dylan quite well. i really liked seeing and listening to the likes of dave van ronk and happy traum and levon helm talk about bob.
interesting point i'd like to touch on... as the biography piece noted, the press (and the public) have always been quick to hang labels and titles on dylan, then become either outraged or disappointed when bob changes direction and leaves them behind. no matter how many times he has told people not to follow leaders, a certain segment of his fans have, at one time or another, felt betrayed or abandoned by dylan.
i find that quite laughable, really. and isn't it easy to see how this unfolding of expectations could lead to bitterness and disdain from the man? positively fourth street, you know? <g3>
but here's what i see in dylan that i wanted to articulate and share. it's about his 'supposed' hatred for the spotlight, and his alleged fervent pursuit of privacy. and it seems the more he wishes to blend into his surroundings, the more he stands out, no? dylan has always been a master of manipulating this illusion. first of all, it's important to understand that, once again, it is the press and the public who have yammered on and on about his intense desire to not draw attention to himself. and imo, that's off the mark. heck, the man loves the stage, he is drawn to it and to the adoration of fans. it almost defines his life. yet the myth continues, reaching greta garbo's famous "i want to be alone" quote proportions.
i remember watching johnny carson on the tonight show for years. when he was first introduced by ed each night ("and now, heeeeeeeeere's johnny!"), carson would part the curtains, stroll out to center stage and bask in the audience's applause. finally, as the applause continued, carson would put on this expression that said, "all right, that's enough, c'mon you're embarrassing me", and he'd wave his arms in front of him palms down in this gesture that looked almost like an umpire signaling safe. and then, arms down at his side, the audience still clapping, johnny would cup his hands and move his fingers in this beautiful little gesture, almost-but-not-quite out of camera range, that said, "keep it up, keep clapping, please, i love it and want more"!
bob does the same thing, though the gestures are far more subtle.
:)
mark |
