Views of Dylan

It seems that everyone came into this class with a different perspective and different experiences of Dylan and his music. We’ve learned alot over the past month about him and listened to alot of his music and I am just wondering if anyones view of Dylan has changed, good or bad, after learning more about him.

Dylan Return to Roots?

I was wondering if anyone thought Dylan would ever return to singing more direct protest music.  His latest Christmas album is a far cry from his earlier work.  Is there anything that would bring him back to his old protest roots?  Or is who Dylan really was all along?  I personally feel that the old Dylan is long gone, but I like to think that the old Dylan will return someday.

Bob Dylan’s feelings about this course

So I was thinking since we are at the end of this course and we can look back at what we have learned, what do you think Dylan would say about this class. We think we have learned about his life, but I have a feeling we have only scratched the surface. I’m curious to see what you guys think.

After seeing the film, “I’m Not There,” I found myself questioning how beneficial the numorous hidden connections were. It seemed that in every scene there was another footnote that the audience had to be aware of to understand and appreciate the entirety of what was occuring in the scene. I feel that only a true Dylan devotee could appreciate the many song lyrics, quotes, other intricate details that could be seen throughout the movie. I was curious to whether you guys thought the film, regardless of its goal, was more informative in regards to Dylan’s life, or an opportunity for avid Dylan fans to find concealed connections.

Dylan’s Approval

This is the first and only biographical film that Dylan approved. While we all know that it doesn’t mean that he agrees with everything the movie interprets or depicts, I find it very interesting that he approved this but not Scorsese’s.

Pulitzer Prize

While looking up some facts about Bob Dylan I found this: The Pulitzer Prize jury in 2008 awarded him a special citation for what they called his profound impact on popular music and American culture, “marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power.” I thought it was very interesting that even the recent Pulitzer Prize jury has recognized Dylan’s genius and consider his music to be poetry.

I’m not There: Billy the Kid scene

So I found one of the most interesting parts of the movie to be the Billy the Kid scenes. It reminded me of Dylan’s later circus themed music featuring sword swallowers and other strange characters. But there is a point in this part of the movie where a man is singing in white face at the young girls funeral. I was wondering what you guys thought about this. Is this some type of reflection on when Dylan wore white out make up and performed on stage?

Women Portrays Dylan

So I know we brought this up this today in class…but i was wondering if we could further the discussion of Kate Blanchett’s role as Bob Dylan and it’s significance. We were offered the explanation that she is used to portray Dylan’s more feminine side. But I was also wondering if her character has undertones of feminism and Dylan? What do you all think?

On the Road Conclusion

I know we have finished discussing the Beats last week but I was just thinking about the conclusion to On the Road.  It seemed like many people felt that Kerouac was prepared to settle down after his adventures with Neal Cassidy.  Does everyone agree with this?  The actual answer is easy to look up but I am more concerned with the message of the book.  I agree that the novel does seem to indicate that Kerouac as he is frustrated with life on the road. What do you think?

Cross Section of Dylan

One of the reasons why i liked the movie I’m Not There was because of the unique cross section it gave of Bob Dylan. By splitting him up into six different people i felt like Dylan was being portrayed in a very positive manner. Even though it showed times throughout his life where it seemed like he strayed from his original goal it seemed to always end in a positive way for each character. However, i was wondering if you thought the same or if that was just my positive outlook.