By Tom Hintgen

Otter Tail County Correspondent

Those of us intrigued with Minnesota native and singer-writer Bob Dylan were excited to see the movie “A Complete Unknown” about the kid from Hibbing who reached stardom.

Dylan, while a student at the University of Minnesota, sang at coffee houses in nearby Dinkytown. The Hibbing native also performed in Fargo before reaching acclaim on the East Coast.

The movie begins with Dylan, in 1961, visiting his musical idol and folk singer Woody Guthrie who was hospitalized in New York City with Huntington’s (neuro-degenerative) Disease. Also at Guthrie’s bedside was folk singer Pete Seeger. Dylan sang and both Guthrie and Seeger felt Dylan’s potential.

The movie covers Dylan’s career through 1965. Seeger introduces Dylan to folk singers, including Joan Baez who helped propel Dylan to stardom. She recorded several of his songs and invited him to perform on stage during her concerts.

“Song after song, in the movie, tumbles out of this poet and musician,” said one reviewer. “I wanted to jump and applaud while smiling ear to ear. It was wonderful to see a solo performance by Dylan at the 1964 Newport Folk Festival where he sings ‘The Times They Are A-Changin,’ a perfect moment in time.”

  Actor Timothy Chalamet embodies Dylan’s charisma, drawing viewers into the world of 1960s folk music and the cultural revolution it ignited. Dylan was a poet who complemented his voice with use of a harmonica.

Dylan, after starting in folk music, lost favor with many fans when he expanded to electrical and amplified rock instrumentation. He maintained his privacy while dealing with fame and artistic independence. After all these years, Dylan’s true personality still is an ongoing mystery.

“The movie is emotional while his many fans witness the raw creative genius of Bob Dylan,” said another movie reviewer. “Some musical artists stay the same while others such as Dylan grow and take new musical journeys.”

Said another reviewer, “As I watched, my mind drifted to the days of the 1960s and to the folk music juxtaposed against a tumultuous political landscape. The movie evoked fond memories of my early childhood.”

One Minnesota music reviewer said it best, “Dylan drifted along into New York in 1961 and changed music forever. And we’re still just drifting along with him, more than six decades later.”