A Complete Unknown’s 10 Best Songs & Musical Performances, Ranked

A Complete Unknown details the early days of Bob Dylan’s musical career in the ‘60s, following his rise to fame in Greenwich Village and subsequent performance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965. While the film was a huge success and was even nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, many audiences may not have realized that Timothée Chalamet was actually performing Dylan’s music live on-set during the filming process. Many of these live performances made it into the final cut of the film, giving A Complete Unknown that raw, authentic feel.

Although A Complete Unknown changes some aspects of Dylan’s life, the film is a very loyal retelling of his early career that includes plenty of songs that made him famous in the first place. From his debut self-titled album to his groundbreaking “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan”, A Complete Unknown really delves into his catalog and provides some fresh new takes on the classic tracks that fans know and love. The film wouldn’t be the same without the music, and Chalamet’s vocal performances really capture the rawness of Dylan’s lyrics, while Monica Barbaro also provides some excellent contributions as Joan Baez.

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10

Song To Woody

Performed By Timothée Chalamet

“Song to Woody” is one of the first musical performances in A Complete Unknown, and it’s also one of the earliest songs that Bob Dylan wrote. The song was penned as a tribute to Woody Guthrie, the renowned folk singer who inspired Bob Dylan’s early work. He’s played by Scoot McNairy in the film, and his dynamic with Chalamet’s protagonist is a key feature of the first act. This song is the moment that Guthrie and Pete Seeger first recognize Dylan’s musical ability, and it’s the beginning of a long career for Bob Dylan.

9

A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall

Performed By Timothée Chalamet

A Complete Unknown introduced countless new audiences to Bob Dylan’s music for the first time, and now that it’s found a home on streaming, this number is only going to increase. One of the most underrated songs from the movie is “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall”, which Dylan performed during his early circuits of the Greenwich Village folk scene. The song appeared on “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” and became one of Dylan’s most popular tunes thanks to its catchy hook and politically charged lyrics. Like much of the singer’s early work, it’s a powerful anthem for social change.

8

Girl From The North Country

Performed By Timothée Chalamet & Monica Barbaro

Excerpts of “Girl from the North Country” appear twice in A Complete Unknown, once during Dylan’s rise to stardom in Greenwich Village and another time on-stage with Monica Barbaro’s Joan Baez. The song was another hit from “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan”, with lyrics that many fans of Dylan’s music speculate to be about his relationship with Suze Rotolo (the real-life figure who inspired Elle Fanning’s Sylvie in the film). The song is also associated with Johnny Cash’s career after the events of A Complete Unknown, as he performed it alongside Dylan on “Nashville Skyline”.

7

Masters Of War

Performed By Timothée Chalamet

Many of Bob Dylan’s early works garnered attention for their political lyrics and calls for social activism, and “Masters of War” may be the most obvious example of them all. Its lyrics condemn the warmongering of the American government, daring them to face the consequences of their own actions. The song is arguably the most important of Dylan’s 1960s catalog, and its inclusion in A Complete Unknown is very effective. The song is performed by Chalamet at the height of his romance with Joan Baez, linking his rebellious activism with his infidelity and selfishness.

6

Like A Rolling Stone

Performed By Timothée Chalamet

The song that A Complete Unknown draws its name from, “Like A Rolling Stone” was a huge commercial success for Bob Dylan and continues to be one of the artist’s most well-known songs today. The song is the opening track on Dylan’s 1965 album “Highway 61 Revisited”, which was released during the artist’s controversial transition to electric folk rock. This perceived “betrayal” of acoustic folk is part of the reason why Dylan was booed at the Newport Folk Festival, which is explored at the end of A Complete Unknown.

5

Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right

Performed By Timothée Chalamet & Monica Barbaro

Another song from “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan”, this track is a bittersweet love song that many fans consider the most difficult of Dylan’s acoustic tracks to play on the guitar. However, Chalamet makes light work of the song in A Complete Unknown, delivering a staggering performance alongside Monica Barbaro. This scene demonstrates exactly why Dylan and Baez were so revered at the beginning of their careers, showcasing their respective talents and using this romantic song to express the deep connection they shared with one another.

4

The Times They Are A-Changin’

Performed By Timothée Chalamet

Taken from Bob Dylan’s studio album of the same name, “The Times They Are A-Changin’” is not only one of the singer’s most openly political songs from this era of his career, but also one of the best Bob Dylan songs ever written. The lyrics encourage the listener to accept the changing world around them and make their voices heard, and that’s exactly what they do in A Complete Unknown during Timothée Chalamet’s performance. In this scene, Dylan has the audience singing the lyrics back to him while he plays on-stage, as Seeger finally realizes the generational talent he’s discovered.

3

Maggie’s Farm

Performed By Timothée Chalamet

Perhaps the most controversial performance of Bob Dylan’s career, “Maggie’s Farm” was the first electric song he played during his Newport Folk Festival set in 1965. As shown in A Complete Unknown, this resulted in his audience booing him offstage and even referring to him as “Judas” for supposedly turning his back on acoustic folk. The conflict between Dylan and Seeger over the preservation of “true” folk music is one of the most important themes in A Complete Unknown, and Chalamet’s fierce performance of “Maggie’s Farm” firmly solidifies Dylan’s rebellious stance on the matter.

2

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It Ain’t Me Babe

Performed By Timothée Chalamet & Monica Barbaro

A Complete Unknown also spends plenty of time exploring the turbulent relationship between Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. The film uses the love triangle between these two popular folk singers and Dylan’s sweetheart Sylvia to mirror the protagonist’s relationship with his fans and the music business as a whole. Dylan and Baez’s performance of “It Ain’t Me Babe” at Newport is the most important moment in their relationship, showcasing how musically compatible the pair are despite their romantic complications. Chalamet and Barbaro play this dynamic perfectly, and this bittersweet song captures all the raw emotions of their affair.

1

Blowin’ In The Wind

Performed By Timothée Chalamet & Monica Barbaro

Chalamet & Barbaro’s performance of “Blowin’ in the Wind” is another pivotal moment in their relationship, but this intimate scene offers a much more positive and heartwarming insight into their genuine love for one another. There are plenty of huge musical numbers in A Complete Unknown where Dylan performs to loud, enthusiastic audiences, but director James Mangold strips all this back for “Blowin’ in the Wind”, including nothing but these two actors and a small apartment. Their chemistry is palpable in this specific performance; it’s one of the most emotional and powerful moments in the entire film.

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A Complete Unknown

Biography

Drama

Music

6/10

163

9.2/10

Release Date

December 25, 2024

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Runtime

140 minutes

Director

James Mangold

Writers

Jay Cocks, James Mangold

Cast

See All

• 

  Timothée Chalamet

  Bob Dylan

• 

  Edward Norton

  Pete Seeger

A Complete Unknown is a biographical movie that follows a young Bob Dylan as he integrates with New York and catches the eye of the folk singers in the area, eventually propelling him into stardom.

Main Genre

Biography

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Source: https://dinhtienhoang.edu.vn
Category: Entertainment