There are several ways to watch Murray Lerner's film, The Other Side of the Mirror: Bob Dylan at the Newport Folk Festival 1963-1965: for sheer purposes of nostalgia (providing you were there at the original shows); for its captivating vintage footage of some of Bob Dylan's most knockout early performances; or as a portrayal that explores Dylan's career as he evolves from a shy singer-songwriter to a professional stage act over his three most developmental years. But whatever your approach, this is a must-see film for any Bob Dylan fan.
A Film 30 years in the Making
Famous for his Isle of Wight Festival films, back in 1963, Lerner—a young Greenwich Village filmmaker—was invited to the Newport Folk Festival to professionally capture and archive the event. Shooting the 1963 festival by himself, over the next two years, he brought a full film crew to properly document the performances, which later resulted in the 1967 film, Festival! The Newport Folk Festival.
Around 1975, Lerner decided to carve a film exclusively about Dylan out of his Newport footage. As he said in an interview about the movie, “As time went on after the festival, I began to think, 'I have this fabulous material on Bob Dylan which shows something very fundamental in how a person can change in relation to his own creative impulses and also public acceptance of him—in other words becoming a star.' So I decided to put together an edit and I called it The Other Side of the Mirror.”
It would be another 30 years, however, before he met producer Jeff Rosen, who gave the project proper funding for its eventual 2007 theatrical and DVD release. One of the finest Bob Dylan documentaries ever produced, The Other Side of the Mirror captures the young singer-songwriter in transition between 1963-65, during his legendary three-year run at the venerable festival.
Splicing concert footage with snippets of Joan Baez interviews, emcee introductions, crowd interviews and calls for encores, more than just a blow-by-blow concert movie, Lerner's film tells a cinematic story, using the festival as a portal to examine Dylan's ascension from struggling folk singer to American icon.
Worth a Thousand Words
“In making The Other Side of the Mirror,” said Lerner, “I decided to use a different approach than in most of my films. I thought the real value of it would be simplicity... And I think that's the strength of the film. You take a journey with him.”
That journey begins with Dylan's 1963 performance. Even though the group Peter, Paul, and Mary had made his song “Blowin' in the Wind” a major hit, Dylan was still relatively unknown. As a new act, his name was listed farther down on the bill, while Joan Baez was a headliner. Dylan's Newport debut was his big splash in America's national folk scene. People in attendance knew they were witnessing something special, mesmerized by the young songwriter's wares. The Other Side of the Mirror portrays a young Bob Dylan who hadn't yet built the confidence and stage presence of the star he would soon become.
By the time he rolled into the 1964 festival a year later, things were changing rapidly as a more confident Dylan began eclipsing Baez in notoriety. In the film, Dylan plays “Chimes of Freedom” and the unreleased “Mr. Tambourine Man,” demonstrating his rapid maturity as he moved away from topical protest songs into a more literary songwriting style. At the event, people couldn't get enough, chanting “We want more! We want more!” after each performance. Lerner also included a clip of Johnny Cash, championing Dylan as America's greatest new songwriter and performing his song, “Don't Think Twice, It's Alright."
Dylan's Controversial 1965 Electric Set
Continuing Lerner's journey, by 1965 Dylan became a Newport headliner in his own right. This legendary performance when he “went electric” has grown into one of America's great rock mythologies for the ages. Decked out in a leather coat, with a Stratocaster strapped around his shoulder, Dylan opened his evening electric set with “Maggie's Farm,” soon segueing into the live debut of “Like a Rolling Stone” just days after the single's release. The mythology holds that the booing grew so intense that Dylan left the stage, with an incensed audience in the mood for a verbal stoning.
With non-booers demanding more, Dylan soon reappeared onstage, this time with an acoustic guitar. In a classic Newport moment, Dylan asks if anyone in the audience has an E harmonica. In the film you can hear thump, thump, thump as four or five hit the stage with Dylan thanking the crowd and picking one up to play an acoustic “Mr. Tambourine Man” followed by “It's All Over Now Baby Blue.”
Although Lerner's footage upholds much of the myth, it also clarifies the affair, demonstrating that it wasn't as big a deal as some accounts hold. In the film, the booing is clearly there, but alongside the dissatisfied numbers can be heard much applause, even scattered chants of “We want more.” Moreover, rumor has always held that the performance was second-rate due to poor sound quality and unrehearsed musicians, but Lerner's footage differs. Aside from Dylan missing a line in “Like a Rolling Stone,” the performance was impeccable. But either way, fans can now watch the film and make their own determinations.
The Track List
Although the film is laid out chronologically by year, the songs within those years are tossed up and out of order. Nor is this the complete document; some songs have been left out with Lerner's selective edit. But there are surprises around every turn, including duets with Joan Baez and Dylan's historic 1963 “Blowin' in the Wind” encore with the Freedom Singers, Joan Baez, Peter, Paul and Mary, and Pete Seeger.
The film opens with the emcee's introduction and Dylan playing “All I Really Want to Do” during his 1965 daytime acoustic set. Below are the rest of Dylan's Newport performances in the order they appear in the film.
1963
North Country Blues
With God on Our Side (Baez duet)
Talkin' World War III Blues
Who Killed Davey Moore?
Only a Pawn in Their Game
Blowin' in the Wind (with Freedom Singers)
1964
Mr. Tambourine Man
Johnny Cash/Joan Baez segments
It Ain't Me Babe (Baez duet)
Joan Baez interview segment
With God on Our Side
Chimes of Freedom
1965
If You Gotta Go, Go Now
Love Minus Zero/No Limit
Crowd Interviews
Rehearsal with Al Cooper
Maggie's Farm (electric)
Like a Rolling Stone (electric)
Mr. Tambourine Man (acoustic)
It's All Over Now Baby Blue (acoustic)
End Credits/Restless Farewell