A Complete Unknown Mostly Overlooks The Band That Helped Make Bob Dylan Famous

Feb 3, 2025 - 05:00

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A Complete Unknown

James Mangold's A Complete Unknown is somewhat frustrating, as it ignores the band that helped Bob Dylan rise to fame. A Complete Unknown's characters reveal the biopic's focus, which relies on a few select folk industry personas and their relationship with the singer. Pete Seeger (Edward Norton) and Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro) are instrumental in championing Dylan's (Timothée Chalamet) songs, following him all the way to A Completely Unknown's ending. The movie is based on Elijah Wald's book Dylan Goes Electric!, which, rather than sticking to facts, reimagines the artists and circumstances shaping the folk revival, as helmed by Dylan.

Accordingly, A Complete Unknown's reviews see it as a fictionalized story that successfully captures Dylan's persona and the impact of his evolving music. Still, would be surprised that Albert Grossman's (Dan Folger) other artists are largely overlooked, despite their crucial role in cementing Dylan's legacy. Peter, Paul and Mary, who had already topped the Billboard charts, did more than recommend the emerging singer to their manager. Thus, A Complete Unknown doesn't properly adapt how the band played a pivotal role in launching Bob Dylan's career — serving as the key figures who first brought him into the spotlight.

Peter, Paul And Mary's Role In A Complete Unknown Is Pretty Small

Peter, Paul And Mary Are Used To Discuss Tensions In The Folk Revival Movement

Timothee Chalamet as Bob Dylan walking down the street in a tuxedo in A Complete Unknown

Despite their contribution to Dylan's career, and being key players of the folk revival, Peter, Paul and Mary shockingly have a very small role in James Mangold's retelling of the musician's early years. The one scene that mentions the popular ensemble has actor Nick Pupo playing band member Peter Yarrow, a member of the American Folklife Center. In the quick sequence, Alan Lomax (Norbert Leo Butz), a folk preservationist, calls Peter, Paul and Mary a "confection" — critiquing Paul for changing his name for artistic purposes, and rejects a blues band because they're also represented by Grossman.

Like other Bob Dylan movies, the moment in A Complete Unknown reveals the tensions inside the folk revival effort, as some demanded more realness and simplicity — like a man of the people with his song — whereas others were trying to champion evolution within the genre. Peter, Paul and Mary's manager was key on this side of the debate, as he promoted the band with the intent of selling folk music to a mainstream audience, something many didn't want. Whether they agreed or not, the genre did expand, very quickly, and in part thanks to Peter, Paul and Mary.

Peter, Paul And Mary Were Instrumental To Bob Dylan's Success

Peter, Paul And Mary Made Blowing In The Wind A Hit

Peter, Paul and Mary are also responsible for an iconic rendition of one of Bob Dylan's best songs from the 60s, launching him to fame with their version of "Blowin' In The Wind". Though Bobby Darin first recorded the song, and the Chad Mitchell Trio released it on their album In Action, Peter, Paul and Mary released it as a single in June 1963. Their cover of "Blowin' In The Wind" became the fastest-selling single in Warner Brother's history, reaching number two on the Billboard pop chart within weeks, and directing everyone's attention to The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan.

Fans of Peter, Paul and Mary's album In the Wind quickly discovered Bob Dylan was the songwriter of "Blowin' in the Wind" and "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right." As a result, they jumped to listen to his record, which he had released three weeks before, in May of that year.

A few months later, Dylan was already a key artist of the folk community, and in July he performed "Blowin' In The Wind" alongside Peter, Paul and Mary, and Joan Baez at the Newport Festival. That same year, Peter, Paul and Mary's song was embraced as an anthem of the civil rights movement, cementing Dylan's status as an activist. Though the movie does contextualize the political climate of the '60s, it's interesting that they didn't adapt Dylan performing at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where Peter, Paul and Mary also sang "Blowin' In The Wind."

Even if A Complete Unknown’s soundtrack does allude to how influential "Blowin' In The Wind" was to the folk artist's career, there is no reference to Peter, Paul and Mary's version. Instead, the narrative suggests it is Joan Baez who fulfills the role of advertising "Blowin' in the Wind" before Dylan even records it, which is quickly preceded by the emerging folk singer becoming a huge public figure through his second album. Even if Baez did perform "Blowin' In The Wind" and promote Dylan, she was not as influential as Peter, Paul and Mary.

Why A Complete Unknown Didn't Give Peter, Paul And Mary A Bigger Role

A Complete Unknown Gives Priority To Artists With A Closer Relationship To Bob Dylan

Though Mangold hasn't spoken about it, the decision not to acknowledge Peter, Paul and Mary's role in launching Dylan's career comes down to two things: dramatic effect and making the story simpler for film audiences. Notably, A Complete Unknown leaves out Dylan's first wife and focuses its efforts on other people on his journey, such as his girlfriend Suze Rotolo, Joan Baez, Johnny Cash (Boyd Holbrook), Pete Seeger, and Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy). Perhaps screenwriters decided adding Peter, Paul and Mary's indirect role would detract more than add to the story.

Bob Dylan has a backpack in A Complete Unknown

A Complete Unknown Leaves Out This Hilarious Detail About Bob Dylan’s Life In The Early 60s

A Complete Unknown carefully curates the depiction of Bob Dylan, leaving out one of the most amusing details about his life in the early 1960s.

Baez leading "Blowin' in the Wind" to success in A Complete Unknown adds weight to her affair with Dylan, as it makes Sylvie Russo (Elle Fanning) suspicious about them. A Complete Unknown changes Bob Dylan's true story, mainly to favor the artist. Though they performed together and collaborated for years, it has been suggested that Peter, Paul and Mary weren't close to Dylan, so their presence wouldn't align with the film's focus on his personal life. It's strange that A Complete Unknown disregards Peter, Paul and Mary's role in launching Dylan's career, but that just confirms it is a fictionalized effort.

Sources: Bob Dylan.Org, The Washington Post

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