A complete unknown is a biopic that follows Bob Dylan from his arrival in New York in 1961 and his rise to fame to the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. The musical performances in the film were recorded live, giving it additional authenticity.

Timothée Chalamet plays Bob Dylan, Edward Norton takes on the role of folk singer Pete Seeger. Norton is a veteran actor known for his roles in Fight club, American History XAnd Primal fear. He has also worked with Wes Anderson for a long time and always delivers incredible performances in his films. A complete unknown hits theaters on December 25th.

Related

The 15 Best Edward Norton Movies According to IMDb

Edward Norton is one of the most accomplished actors of his generation, and his diverse body of work is evident in his top-rated IMDb films.

ScreenRant interviewed Edward Norton about it A complete unknown. He describes his relationship with Timothée Chalamet outside of the film, revealing that in this film the two felt like equal partners rather than the mentoring relationship their characters have. Norton also talks about the 1965 folk festival scene, which is chaotic and integral to the film, but also explains that he doesn’t want to tell the audience what he thinks about it.

Edward Norton and Timothée Chalamet “share a deep admiration for Bob Dylan”

“He was much younger when we met and I knew he admired me as an actor, but as we worked on it I really felt like I was a collaborator.”

ScreenRant: Pete really takes Bob under his wing at the beginning of this film. Did you feel that relationship with Timothée at all?

Edward Norton: Maybe. Timothée and I met a while ago and we may have had something out of it. He was much younger when we met and I knew he admired me as an actor, but as we worked on it I really felt like I was a collaborator. We share a really deep admiration for Dylan and for this music and I knew he felt as invested as I did. I don’t want to say that he did it right, but Timothée made it really clear that it was what convinced him that it was worth taking on, precisely because there are a lot of people who do it do not know.

It’s like it would be suicide to make this film just for Dylan fans. You know what I mean? In a way you would get into it, and I think it was almost like taking a step back and realizing that in reality there are many, many people of all generations who don’t actually know this music. They’ve heard the name Bob Dylan, but not necessarily, they haven’t been around it for long, and they may not know much about what a fertile, amazing time art was, very intertwined with social change and the political movements of that time.

I think there was a real alliance with Timothée that was worth it. This is really worthwhile and these people, not just because we love their music, but because there is something worth reminding people of what a fruitful and driving time this was. In short, I felt like a comrade of Timothée’s in this matter, in no way more of a veteran than him or anything like that. I think the mission really bonded us.

Edward Norton credits director James Mangold for allowing audiences to experience the emotions of the film

“I really liked that Jim Mangold, as a filmmaker, has the wisdom in some ways to reveal that and not necessarily pass judgment on it.”

ScreenRant: What do you think is going through Pete’s mind during that chaotic 1965 folk festival sequence as he’s stuck between the “past” and “future” of music?

Edward Norton: I think there are so many things at play. I don’t want to deprive viewers of their own interpretation of what was going on. It’s funny, Timothée and I talked about it too, but when you look at the old Bob Dylan films and people ask: What does this song mean? And he’s 21 years old and he says, “I don’t know what that means.” What do you think that means? I wrote it, but it doesn’t mean anything. And you just say, man, he was so skilled at making sure people had an active relationship with the things he wrote.

He never reduced it to just one thing. And I feel a little bit that way about the film itself. There are a lot of ways to feel the ending emotionally. I think the best thing I would say is that I think it’s entirely possible that there are different forms of integrity, and I think that Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger admired each other enormously. And one may have had an inclination towards political integrity and the integrity of commitment to a movement. And one may have had a radical sense of the integrity of one’s own artistic line.

And they don’t have to cancel each other out. They can coexist. Maybe they were on the same track for a while, then not anymore. I really liked that Jim Mangold, as a filmmaker, has some wisdom to be able to lay that out in the open without necessarily passing judgment on it. He really leaves it up to you. It leaves you behind, in this film I think it gives you the opportunity to deal with the conflicting feelings at the end.

I find that very adult. I think you have to give credit to the audience. As an audience, I sometimes want to be left alone. You know what I mean? I don’t want to be beaten. I don’t want to find out too much. I want to exist in the chaos of it all. I want to let everything penetrate me. I think sometimes it takes a very mature filmmaker to put a lot of unresolved stuff in your lap.

More about A Complete Unknown (2024)

New York, 1961. Against a backdrop of a vibrant music scene and turbulent cultural upheaval, an enigmatic 19-year-old from Minnesota arrives with his guitar and a revolutionary talent destined to change the course of American music. During his meteoric rise, he forges close relationships with Greenwich Village music icons, culminating in a groundbreaking and controversial performance that resonates worldwide. Timothée Chalamet plays and sings Bob Dylan in James Mangold’s A COMPLETE UNKNOWN, the electrifying true story behind the rise of one of the most famous singer-songwriters in history.

Check out our others A complete unknown Interviews here:

Source: Screen Rant Plus

Your changes have been saved

My list

My favorite films
My watchlist

A Complete Unknown is a biographical film that follows a young Bob Dylan as he integrates into New York, attracts the attention of local folk singers, and ultimately becomes a star.

Release date

December 25, 2024

Main genre

biography

Pour

Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro, Nick Offerman, Boyd Holbrook, PJ Byrne, Scoot McNairy, Dan Fogler, Will Harrison, Charlie Tahan, Jon Gennari, Norbert Leo Butz

Character(s)

Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, Sylvie Russo, Joan Baez, Alan Lomax, Johnny Cash, Harold Levanthal, Woody Guthrie, Albert Grossman, Bob Neuwirth, Al Kooper, stage manager

Studio(s)

Searchlight Pictures, The Picture Company, Automatic Entertainment

Sales partner

Searchlight images

Expand