A complete stranger is a biographical film that follows Bob Dylan after he arrives in New York in 1961, throughout his rise to fame, up until the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. The film's musical performances were recorded live, which adds extra authenticity to the film.
Timothée Chalamet stars as Bob Dylan, with Edward Norton playing folk singer Pete Seeger. Norton is an experienced actor, known for his roles in Fight Club, American Historyand Primal Fear. He is also a longtime collaborator with Wes Anderson, always delivering incredible performances in his films. A complete stranger hits theaters on December 25th.
TelaRant interviewed Edward Norton about A complete stranger. He details his off-screen relationship with Timothée Chalamet, revealing that the two felt like equal partners in this film, rather than the mentoring relationship their characters have. Norton also talks about the 1965 Folk Festival scene, which is chaotic and an integral part of the film, while also stating that he doesn't want to tell the audience what he thinks about it.
Edward Norton and Timothée Chalamet “share a deep admiration for Bob Dylan”
“He was much younger when we met and I knew he admired me as an actor, but at the time we were working on it, I really felt like a comrade in arms.”
ScreenRant: Pete really takes Bob under his wing at the beginning of this film. Did you feel that relationship with Timothée?
Edward Norton: Maybe. Timothée and I have known each other for a while and maybe we had a little of that. He was much younger when we met and I knew he admired me as an actor, but at the time we were working on it, I really felt like a comrade in arms. We shared a very deep admiration for Dylan and that music and I knew he felt as committed as I did, I don't want to say he got it right, but Timothée was really articulate that what gave him a conviction, was worth taking on, was just because there are a lot of people who don't know that.
It's like if you were making this film just for Dylan aficionados, it would be suicidal. Do you know what I mean? In a way, you would be preparing yourself, and I think it was almost stepping back and realizing that there are actually many, many people of all generations who don't really know this music. They've heard Bob Dylan's name, but not necessarily, haven't spent much time immersed in it, and may not know much about what a fertile and incredible time of art it was that was closely tied to the social change and political movements of the time.
I think what I felt with Timothée was a true alliance, in the sense that it was worth it. In fact, it really pays off for these people, not just because we love their music, but because there's something worth reconnecting people to the kind of fertile, propulsive time that was. In short, I felt like Timothée's buddy in this, not more veteran than him or anything. I think we were very, very united in the mission.
Edward Norton credits director James Mangold for allowing the audience to follow the emotion of the film
“I really liked the fact that Jim Mangold had the wisdom, as a filmmaker, in a sense, to lay this out and not necessarily make a judgment about it.”
ScreenRant: During that chaotic sequence at the 1965 Folk Festival, what do you think is going through Pete's head as he's caught between the "past" and the "future" of music?
Edward Norton: I think there are a lot of things at stake. I don't want to take away from the public their own interpretation of what happened. It's funny, Timothée and I talk about this too, but if you look at old Bob Dylan movies and people ask him, what does this song mean? And he's 21 and he's like, I don't know what that means. What do you think this means? I wrote it, but it doesn't mean anything. And you kind of go, man, he was very savvy at making sure people formed an active relationship with the things he wrote.
He never narrowed it down to just one thing. And I feel that way a little bit about the film itself. There are many ways to feel emotionally about this ending. I think the most I would say is that I think it's very possible that there are different forms of integrity, and I think Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger admired each other enormously. And one may have had an inclination toward political integrity and the integrity of commitment to a movement. And someone may have had a radical sense of integrity regarding their own artistic lineage.
And they don't need to cancel each other out. They can coexist. Maybe they were on the same track for a while, but then they weren't. I really liked the fact that Jim Mangold had the wisdom, as a filmmaker, in a sense, to lay this out and not necessarily make a judgment about it. He really leaves it up to you. He leaves you with, in this film, I think he gives you the chance to be left with the conflicting emotions at the end.
I think this is very adult. I think you have to give credit to the audience. I, as an audience member, sometimes want to be alone. Do you know what I mean? I don't want to be beaten. I don't want them to tell me too much. I want to exist in the mess of it all. I want to let all of this penetrate me. Sometimes you have to be a very mature filmmaker, I think, to leave a lot of things in your lap unresolved.
More about a complete stranger (2024)
New York, 1961. Against the backdrop of a vibrant music scene and tumultuous cultural upheaval, an enigmatic 19-year-old from Minnesota arrives with his guitar and revolutionary talent, destined to change the course of American music. He forms intimate relationships with Greenwich Village musical icons in his meteoric rise, culminating in a groundbreaking and controversial performance that reverberates around the world. Timothée Chalamet stars and sings as Bob Dylan in James Mangold's A COMPLETE UNKNOWN, the electric true story behind the rise of one of history's most iconic singer-songwriters.
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Source: Screen Rant Plus