A Complete Unknown Ending Explained

A Complete Unknown, which James Mangold co-wrote and directed, has a unique ending. In contrast to other musician biopics, the Bob Dylan film mostly centers on the celebrated singer-songwriter's ascent to fame in the 1960s, which culminated in Dylan's 1965 performance at the Newport Folk Festival. A Complete Unknown received positive reviews and was nominated for multiple Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor. In addition to his amicable but tense relationship with Pete Seeger, Dylan's ascent as a folk star is well-established in the movie, from his first arrival in New York City in 1961 to his sold-out performances.

Bob Dylan's performance at the Newport Folk Festival marks the conclusion of A Complete Unknown. But unlike last year, Dylan was accompanied by a blues band and an electric guitar. Both Seeger and the audience's folk fans were appalled by this and attempted to cut the cables. Frustrated by the response to his music, Dylan left the stage after just a few songs. The song "So Long, It's Been Good to Know Yuh" by Woody Guthrie then plays in the background as Dylan pays him a visit in the hospital. Guthrie observes Dylan riding his motorcycle off.

Why Bob Dylan Was Jeered by the Crowd at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival

The Newport Folk Festival marked a sea change in Bob Dylan's career, according to A Complete Unknown. Prior to this, the singer was mostly recognized as a folk performer, and his set was regarded as a turning point in the development of his music. Because Dylan wasn't playing what was basically promised, audiences jeered him, especially since the festival's name included the word "folk." Folk purists in the audience were turned off by Dylan's use of an electric guitar. However, not everyone reacted in the same way; many others cheered. However, Dylan's change in sound caused the majority of the audience to jeer.

In actuality, the audience may have jeered Dylan at the festival for reasons other than outrage. Others who attended the festival that year contended that Dylan's brief set and the poor sound quality—the electric sound's amplification allegedly made it hard to hear the lyrics—were partly to blame for the jeering (via The Denver Folklore Center).

While other musicians' sets were considerably longer that year, the singer only sang three songs before departing. However, as the movie implies, the main cause of the audience's dissatisfaction with Dylan was the overall sense of betrayal.

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What Takes Place Following the Explanation of Bob Dylan's Mysterious Motorcycle Ride

A Complete Unknown manages to incorporate some actual events without necessarily going into further detail about them. For example, before the screen turns black, Chalamet's Bob Dylan is seen riding away on his motorcycle. Although it's a little mysterious, the scene is purposeful because Dylan was in a motorcycle accident in real life. A year after his performance at the Newport Folk Festival, in the summer of 1966, the crash occurred. Dylan has disclosed that he broke several vertebrae in his neck in the collision that happened close to Woodstock, New York.

However, because Dylan chose not to visit the hospital, the specifics of the incident are unknown. The conclusion of A Complete Unknown makes reference to Dylan's motorcycle accident, which is a fitting way to wrap up the movie given how enigmatic the accident is, much like Dylan. Importantly, it serves as a bookend to his career in the 1960s because the musician subsequently distanced himself from the public and hardly ever appeared in public. After his motorcycle accident, Dylan would not tour again for another eight years, but he continued to record new music.

Will Bob Dylan Perform at the Newport Folk Festival Again?

In the end, Bob Dylan did make a comeback to play at the Newport Folk Festival. Dylan would not, however, take the festival stage again for another 37 years following his contentious 1965 performance. Dylan triumphantly returned in 2002, performing a much longer set that included both new songs and well-known hits. The set lasted for two or three hours.

It's interesting to note that Dylan wore a wig, cowboy hat, and fake beard when he performed. However, the performer has not returned to the Newport Folk Festival since his 2002 return, which was not intended to be an annual occurrence.

What Takes Place Between Pete Seeger and Joan Baez Following the Movie

In 1968, Joan Baez would publish her first memoir after the Newport Folk Festival in 1965. Before 1970, she kept putting out music, putting out five different albums. In 1969, Baez would perform a set consisting of 13 songs at the Woodstock festival, capping off the 1960s. After just three months of courtship, she married her future husband, David Harris, in 1968. They had first met in 1967. In December 1969, Baez welcomed their son, Gabriel. In the 1970s, she toured with Bob Dylan, even though their romance had ended by the middle of the 1960s.

Regarding Pete Seeger, the folk singer's 1966 album God Bless the Grass was entirely devoted to environmental activism. In addition, Seeger participated in the 1969 Vietnam Moratorium March in opposition to the Vietnam War and released anti-war songs such as "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy." To protect and clean the Hudson River, Seeger and his spouse established the nonprofit Hudson River Sloop Clearwater in 1966. The friendship between Dylan and Seeger soured after Dylan went electric at the 1965 Newport Film Festival. In 1990, Seeger sent Dylan a letter of apology outlining his position.

An explanation of who Elle Fanning's Sylvie Rosso is based on and why her name is different

Elle Fanning portrays Sylvie Rosso, Bob Dylan's girlfriend in the 1960s, in the film A Complete Unknown. Sylvie is a fictional character, but she is based on Suze Rotolo, Dylan's real-life girlfriend who was featured on Dylan's 1963 album, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. Rotolo is credited with having a significant influence on Dylan's music during their years-long relationship, which lasted from 1961 to 1964. Dylan himself asked for Suze's name to be changed for the music biopic (via Rolling Stone).

Rotolo stated in her memoir that she had found it hard to handle the demands of being in Dylan's life and everything that went along with it. It was difficult for her to be apart from Dylan's music career because she was so attached to it. Rotolo wrote that she wasn't merely a "string on Dylan's guitar" and that she wanted to be recognized as someone other than Dylan.

What Is Completely Unknown Regarding Bob Dylan's Life

Mangold's film omits a lot of information about Dylan's life because it concentrates on his life and career in the first half of the 1960s. In A Complete Unknown, even some of the events are portrayed with a dash of artistic license and modification. Specifically, though, the biopic omits details regarding Dylan's upbringing and family. Other than the singer's birth name, which Sylvie learns, we don't know much about his life before coming to New York.

Suze Rotolo's sister Carla, who didn't like Dylan, the conflict Dylan had with Rotolo's family and Rotolo's abortion, and Dylan's interest in Baez's sister prior to their romantic relationship are also omitted. It's interesting to note that Dylan's first wife, Sara Lownds, is completely absent from A Complete Unknown. In addition to being married, Lownds and Dylan were expecting their first child together by 1965. According to the movie, Sylvie (Suze) and Dylan went to the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, but they had split up a year earlier.

A Complete Unknown includes details that might not have occurred or did not occur as they were portrayed on screen, such as Dylan and Baez's onstage altercation before the former leaves (which is said to have never occurred) or Johnny Cash attending the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. The movie omits the friend who traveled with Dylan to New York and alters the events of Dylan's first encounter with Seeger and Guthrie, revealing that it did not take place at the hospital where Guthrie was a patient. Another event in England even featured someone yelling "Judas!" at Dylan during the Newport Folk Festival.

Why Bob Dylan's career in the 1960s is the only subject of James Mangold's biopic

One of the most well-known voices of his generation, Bob Dylan was never more well-known than in the 1960s, when his music—from protest songs to his transition to rock—had a big influence. Like most well-known artists, Dylan's early career and public life are among his most cherished memories. Mangold was probably struck by Dylan's dynamic career in the 1960s, which coincided with protests, anti-war movements, and societal changes.

The film's focus is drawn to A Complete Unknown because it is loosely based on Elijah Wald's book, which emphasizes the Newport Folk Festival and Dylan's transition to electric music. Mangold employed Dylan's iconic 1965 performance to heighten the suspense. By concentrating on a single decade of Dylan's life, A Complete Unknown was able to focus on the musician's early relationships and achievements. It was an interesting focal point and a window into Dylan's world because it was a time when the singer was really discovering his voice.

The True Significance Of The End Of A Complete Unknown

The musician is followed at different points in time by A Complete Unknown. He is literally a "complete unknown" at first, but that changes as he starts to perform with Joan Baez, at festivals, and in folk venues. Dylan's journey from unknown to famous was finished by the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, though, as his entry into rock had a significant influence on the development of the genre. Dylan was already well-known, but his decision to branch out from folk music cemented his status as a musical icon. While retaining a feeling of mystery, the conclusion demonstrated his impact on viewers.