A Complete Unknown with James Mangold and Guillermo del Toro (Ep. 518)

The Director’s Cut - A DGA Podcast

Directors Guild of America

Tv & Film

4.6 • 806 Ratings

🗓️ 19 December 2024

⏱️ 36 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Director James Mangold discusses his new film, A Complete Unknown, with fellow Director Guillermo del Toro in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses how he intended on making the songs integral scenes instead of separating the drama from the action, how he sought to bring out the impact of Dylan through the figures around him, and the musical and acting performances of his ensemble Cast. The film follows a young Bob Dylan as he arrives in New York City, performing and forging relationships with his folk contemporaries of Greenwich Village. As he begins his meteoric rise, he strives to break free of his folk identity, culminating in a groundbreaking and controversial performance that reverberates worldwide. See photos and a summary of this event below: https://dga.org/Events/2025/February2025/ACompleteUnknown_QnA_1224

Transcript

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0:00.0	This wasn't a movie necessarily about arrogance or about someone who put up walls.
0:05.8	In the two and a quarter hours, you watch this movie, the guy had 38 monologues in the form of songs,
0:12.5	where you did nothing but hear the words come out of him.
0:15.3	And that's what we've gotten from him for 60 years, but we're not happy with it.
0:20.5	We want to know more. And the fact that he's
0:23.1	played games and told stories and fed the narrative press machine stories as well as truths
0:30.2	only indicates to me a kind of desire to keep what's most real to himself. Hello and welcome back to the director's cut, brought to you by the director's cut, brought to you by the Directors Guild of America.
1:00.3	In this episode, the early days of folk icon Bob Dylan are chronicled, and director James
1:05.5	Mangold's musical biopic, A Complete Unknown.
1:09.6	The film follows a young Bob Dylan as he arrives in New York
1:13.2	City, performing and forging relationships with his fault contemporaries of Greenwich Village.
1:18.8	As he begins his meteoric rise, he strives to break free of his folk identity, culminating
1:24.1	in a groundbreaking and controversial performance that reverberates worldwide.
1:29.9	In addition to a complete unknown, Mangold's other directorial credits include the feature films
1:35.2	Indiana Jones in the Dial of Destiny, Ford v. Ferrari, Logan, The Wolverine, 310 to Yuma,
1:43.1	Walk the Line, Identity, and Girl Interrupted.
1:48.5	Following a screening of the film at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles,
1:52.8	Mangold spoke with director Guillermo del Toro about filming a complete unknown.
1:58.2	Listen on for their spoiler-filled conversation.
2:06.9	Music known. Listen on for their spoiler-filled conversation. And, you know, listen, we should start because I have so many things. First of all,
2:12.7	for me, in live action, is my favorite movie of the year. I really think the craftsmanship
2:17.4	is superb.
	...

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