The Bottom Line
- Bob is lucky enough to have actually led a somewhat interesting life ... the story tells itself
- Vignettes of historical context are both poignant and purposeful
- The film includes some rather rare footage that only Scorsese could get a hold of
- At about three and a half hours, it's a little much to take in if you're not committed
- Turns out the interview with Bob was done five years ago by a journalist, not Martin Scorsese
Description
- A film on one of our greatest artists during one of the most strenuous decades in modern history.
- Candid interjections from Allen Ginsberg, Dave Van Ronk, and others add color and objective insight.
- Dylan's own narration offers a great perspective on his life and times.
Guide Review - No Direction Home
Maybe you’re not a fan. Maybe all you know is an iconic 2-D image of a man you saw on t-shirts and in the record collections of your "hippy" acquaintances in college.
Or maybe you're just curious and bored.
Either way, after watching Martin Scorsese's three-plus hour documentary, No Direction Home: Bob Dylan, you'll at least know more about where Bob Dylan was coming from in the 1960s.
Scorsese is never trite. We know that already, so it’s no surprise the film lasts a while, covering every single aspect that even remotely relates to the topic at hand. But just as you start to think you might like to know a little bit more about Dave Van Ronk, you're reminded of why you’re watching: to learn the story of a tremendous songwriter.
The way Scorsese tells it is enough to make any fan of American culture squirm: interview footage with Allen Ginsberg, video of Woody Guthrie playing in a back yard, photos, and so on.
Then there's Dylan himself, narrating the tale of his own life in several high and low moments of the story. His narration is at times nonsensical, and at times just flat out funny. But overall the film displays an earnest, creative, and insightful stream of consciousness that punctuates Dylan’s story perfectly.
