Rolling Thunder Revue (2019)

Since Bob Dylan had quit touring in 1966, it was big news that in the fall of 1975 he had gathered a new troupe of band mates and set out on the "Rolling Thunder Revue" concert tour that was designed to play in small venues and cities. Martin Scorsese's mixed genre film combines both fact and fiction to tell that story in a tone that is both nostalgic (good times!) and obsequious (it's all about Bob — surprise!). This was the period of Dylan's kabuki-like white clown face, and his entourage included Allen Ginsberg, Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Sam Shepard, an incoherent Patti Smith, and others. About half the film is archival footage of these concerts, and it was pure pleasure to watch Dylan in action. But the audience has no reason to know or determine the fictional parts of the film. Like when Jim Gianopulos is depicted as the promoter of the tour even though he was in law school at the time, or when Sharon Stone falsely portrays herself as being part of the tour. Another fictional character is Stefan Van Dorp, who claims he is filming the tour. The 78-year-old Dylan is interviewed for his memories about the Revue, but we're never told that the softball questions were by his manager. A coy Dylan says that he doesn't even remember anything about the Rolling Thunder Revue, saying it happened so long ago "I wasn't even born!" He finds it impossible to get to the "core" of what it was all about because "it's about nothing." In one revealing comment, Baez remarks, "when Bob starts to sing, everything is forgiven." I guess. I watched this film on Netflix Streaming.

Dan Clendenin: dan@journeywithjesus.net