Is
Dont Look Back
directed by D.A. Pennebaker, or is D.A. Pennebaker directed by Bob Dylan?
This
was the question on my mind from the film’s opening moments. If there is one
thing Dont Look Back makes abundantly
clear, it is that nobody, not even the
most skilled of documentarians, will ever
get inside Bob Dylan’s head. That is impossible. Dylan only allows others
to see what he wants them to see, and no matter how covertly Pennebaker
operates his camera, Dylan’s mind is impenetrable.
That
realization is, in and of itself, a fairly profound piece of insight, and the
concept Pennebaker shapes his film around. Of the mountains of footage
Pennebaker collected, the scenes he selected for presentation all share one
common theme: Bob Dylan in command.
When
on stage, he captivates the crowd with his music. Backstage, he is always the
center of attention. When journalists attempt to interview him, he turns the
questions around, putting the writer on the defensive. He has attracted such
loyalty that his friends will stay by his side, playing music for him or
providing simple company, even when he does nothing more than work at a
typewriter. There is no scene in the film that does not depict Bob Dylan in
control. He never allows others to know anything about him – except, perhaps,
through his music – but he gleams piercing, uncomfortable insights into
everyone around him, insights he uses to manipulate.
In
essence, Dylan is ‘directing’ his own life, and that does not change when
cameras are present. All Pennebaker can do is let the cameras roll and observe
what happens; even if he wanted to, he would have no influence on the
proceedings.
Pennebaker
freely admits this in the opening sequence. The iconic “Subterranean Homesick
Blues” music video is the only part of the film with any explicit direction.
Since Dylan obviously did not stand in an alley flashing cue cards of his own
free will, this was most likely staged by Pennebaker, and Dylan’s body language
speaks volumes. He is uncomfortable, disinterested, and detached from the
entire affair. Dylan clearly dislikes being directed. Once the song ends, he
tosses the cue cards to the ground and walks away, essentially signaling the
end of any filmmaker interference – as Dylan no doubt views Pennebaker – for the
rest of the movie.
Pennebaker
does, of course, have some control. His editing of the film represents his
subjective viewpoint on Dylan, as each scene he chooses to show us serves as
one piece of a larger character portrait. The Dylan of Dont Look Back can be described and interpreted in many ways, but
he is undeniably consistent from one moment to the next. That consistency can
often be enigmatic, but is there nevertheless. Dylan, in his base form, is
laid-back, casual, and as noted before, quietly in control. Though there are
several shocking moments where Dylan becomes hostile or flustered, he is
absolutely not breaking character. He gets overtly emotional only when his key
trait – his control – is in question. He violently chews out his crew after an
incident where glass is thrown in the street, and in personal confrontations,
Dylan is spiteful of others who claim to ‘know’ anything about him. The very
possibility is insulting.
This
is the image Pennebaker shapes, and he has plenty of powerfully raw cinematic
evidence to support his case. I suspect his final cut of the film is meant to
convey, as eloquently as possible, the Dylan Pennebaker grew to know over
months of filming.
This
returns us to my original question: Who directed whom? The answer is simple.
D.A. Pennebaker directed Dont Look Back,
but Bob Dylan directed D.A. Pennebaker. The results are mesmerizing.
Read All ‘Essay Day’ Entries Here:
Jonathan R. Lack has
been writing film and television criticism for ten years, for publications such
as The Denver Post’s ‘YourHub’
and
the entertainment website We Got This Covered
, and is the host of The Weekly Stuff Podcast
with Jonathan Lack and Sean Chapman.
His first book – Fade to Lack: A Critic’s Journey Through the World of
Modern Film – is now available in Paperback and on Kindle. Follow him on Twitter @JonathanLack.
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