No Direction Home: Bob Dylan (2005)

Director:

Martin Scorsese

Release Date:

21 July 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Biography | Music

Plot:

A chronicle of Bob Dylan's strange evolution between 1961 and 1966 from folk singer to protest singer to "voice of a generation" to rock star.

Plot Keywords:

Musician | Singer | Archive Footage | Performance | Interview

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 5 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Bob Dylan	...	Himself
B.J. Rolfzen	...	Himself (voice)
Dick Kangas	...	Himself
Liam Clancy	...	Himself
Tony Glover	...	Himself
Paul Nelson	...	Himself
Allen Ginsberg	...	Himself (archive footage)
Dave Van Ronk	...	Himself (archive footage)
Maria Muldaur	...	Herself
John Cohen	...	Himself
Bruce Langhorne	...	Himself
Mark Spoelstra	...	Himself
Suze Rotolo	...	Herself
Izzy Young	...	Himself
Mitch Miller	...	Himself

Also Known As:

Bob Dylan Anthology Project (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

Argentina:208 min | 208 min (DVD) | Canada:201 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | Finland:205 min (2 part TV-miniseries)

Country:

USA | UK | Japan

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:AL | Australia:M | Finland:K-3 | Argentina:Atp | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Brazil:Livre

Filming Locations:

Hibbing, Minnesota, USA

Company:

Box TV

Trivia:

Columbia/SME Records, Sony Music, and Bob Dylan's management gave Martin Scorsese access to its vaults, something Dylan has never given to any documentary filmmaker.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: Footage of the San Francisco Bay Bridge is included among footage of New York City illustrating Bob Dylan's arrival there.

Quotes:

Bob Johnston: I believe in giving credit where credit's due. I don't think Dylan had a lot to do with it. I think God instead of touching him on the shoulder he kicked him in the ass. Really. And that's where all that came from. He can't help what he's doing. I mean he's got the Holy Spirit about him. You can look at him and tell that.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Goedemorgen Nederland: (2005-09-28)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Johnny I Hardly Knew You

He's Younger Than That Now

Well, it took a director as great as Martin Scorsese and 45 years of recording, travelling, ramblin' and bein' busy bein' born instead of dyin', but at long last Dylan fans from Dharma to Duluth have a glimpse behind the genius in the dark sunglasses. A remarkable film--for so many reasons that it would take at least 3 1/2 hours (the length of the movie) to list them--but the main reasons anyone with an interest in His Bobness needs to view this film are as follows: 1) Scorsese's direction: Almost 30 years after he chronicled the passing of a musical era with his magnificent film The Last Waltz, Scorsese once again captures musical brilliance and history on film as only someone who truly appreciates Dylan's historical as well as cultural influence could. A Master Director chronicles a Master Musician. 2) Archival footage of everyone you never saw before on film, including Gene Vincent, Hank Williams, and early 60's Greenwich Village pioneers aplenty and of course.. 3) Bob. For reasons known only to himself, Dylan actually speaks on record about his least favorite topic, himself. Along with last year's autobiography, this film reveals far more of the portrait of the artist as a young man than could ever have been anticipated given Bob's notorious closed-mouthed history on his own history.

With Elvis, Ray Charles and John Lennon gone, there are few--if ANY--artists whose historical and musical importance even come near that of Bob Dylan. In No Direction Home, we see as much, if not more, than we are entitled to see about how and why young Robert Zimmerman from Hibbing, MN became the most important songwriter of the 20th century.

He's got everything he needs--he's an artist--but just this once, he DOES look back.