For some music fans, the records just aren’t enough. We pore over the back stories, interviews and gossip in an attempt to understand the artist behind the art. It is in this spirit that we share some of our finest music related films. All shades of musicians are represented; hard workers, natural talents, slackers and dilettantes, depicted on stage, in the recording studio and behind the scenes. We are additionally given access to some of the less obvious participants; the dancers, fans, and business people that complete the musical ecosystem.
Turn up the TV and enjoy!
In this dramatic and spirited story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s brief life, the glories and hardships of the artist are depicted in a stunningly colorful and well-acted film. The story is told from the perspective of Antonio Salieri, a peer composer who enjoyed substantial fame but never reached the artistic heights (or the financial lows) of Mozart. While the accuracy of Salieri’s envy and Mozart’s (hilariously) crude demeanor have been called into question by historians, there is no denying that it makes for a great cinema.
A wildly creative treatment of the life of Bob Dylan with director Todd Haynes presenting a series of impressionistic vignettes in lieu of the traditional biopic structure. Dylan’s well known habit of frequently remaking his own image is skillfully handled by having a variety of actors depict Dylan during different stages his life. Featuring great performances and interesting selections from his catalog, this is recommended both to fans of his music as well as lovers of adventurous cinema.
The Saddest Music in the World (2004):
Guy Maddin, one of contemporary film’s most unique voices, teams up with novelist Kazuo Ishiguro for a strange and hilarious picture. Employing stylistic tropes from the silent era, the film depicts the wild scene that commences when a Canadian beer entrepreneur invites musicians from all over the world to compete for a prize of $25,000 which is to be rewarded to the performer of the saddest, most affecting music. The film is enjoyable both as light surrealist comedy and as a meditation on the difficulties of objectively judging music.
