As ‘Complete Unknown’ Rekindles Interest in 1965 Folk-Rock Scene, Watch ’60s Icon Donovan Reveal ‘Secret History’ in Video Essay
variety.comSteven Gaydos Executive VP of Content One of the chief pleasures of James Mangold’s acclaimed new Bob Dylan film biography “A Complete Unknown” comes from the assistance it provides to old-timers often trying, usually failing, to explain why the cultural landscape shift from folk to rock back in 1965 was such a big deal.
In “Unknown,” of course, it’s a very big deal and the journey from aspiring teenage folkie arriving in New York City in 1961 to rock star blazing onstage at the Newport Folk Festival vividly demonstrates the gravitational pull away from folk and toward increasingly loud electric rock and roll that was hugely lucrative as well as pop culture-defining.
In “Unknown,” Timothee Chalamet is drawing rave reviews, but students of the era know there’s a film record of the real Bob Dylan in the months just before that seismic event in Rhode Island.
It’s called “Don’t Look Back,” directed by D.A. Pennebaker, and it might be the greatest rock music documentary ever made. Also figuring prominently at the epicenter of that revolution and in “Back” is Scottish folk-rock flower-power pioneer Donovan, who this year celebrates the 60th anniversary of his first album’s release in May of 1965.
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