1.) Non-linearity. Music and biopics do not go together. Music is more abstract than narrative with distinct characters and communication mostly through language.
SEE:
-I'm Not There
-Don't Look Back
-One More TIme with Feeling
-This Much I Know To Be True
-Moonage Daydream
Less narrative, more feeling. More abstraction like music. Put simply, music biopics should be more like music videos.
2.) I hate them because they romanticize a lot of "bad behaviour" that DOES rub off on impressionable teenagers. (I was in a band in high school and there was a whole phase there). There is nothing "romantic" about being an addicted artist. And most music films rely on the music sequences. "Walk the Line" has very good content, but the performances always have me comparing . . . It just takes me out of the immersive "diagesis" of the film and I start noticing things like ceiling tiles. (I love using that word, "diagesis" - whenever I can!).
So interesting to read your comment because we've had similar reactions on the podcast. My overall take is most of music biopics are sensationalized wikipedia entries while the ones that have something bigger to say about the world or ourselves e.g. Amadeus are films worth making.
1.) Non-linearity. Music and biopics do not go together. Music is more abstract than narrative with distinct characters and communication mostly through language.
SEE:
-I'm Not There
-Don't Look Back
-One More TIme with Feeling
-This Much I Know To Be True
-Moonage Daydream
Less narrative, more feeling. More abstraction like music. Put simply, music biopics should be more like music videos.
2.) I hate them because they romanticize a lot of "bad behaviour" that DOES rub off on impressionable teenagers. (I was in a band in high school and there was a whole phase there). There is nothing "romantic" about being an addicted artist. And most music films rely on the music sequences. "Walk the Line" has very good content, but the performances always have me comparing . . . It just takes me out of the immersive "diagesis" of the film and I start noticing things like ceiling tiles. (I love using that word, "diagesis" - whenever I can!).
So interesting to read your comment because we've had similar reactions on the podcast. My overall take is most of music biopics are sensationalized wikipedia entries while the ones that have something bigger to say about the world or ourselves e.g. Amadeus are films worth making.