Masked and Anonymous
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| Masked and Anonymous | |
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| Directed by | Larry Charles |
| Produced by | Jeff Rosen |
| Written by | Bob Dylan, Larry Charles |
| Starring | Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Bob Dylan, Penélope Cruz, Fred Ward, Luke Wilson, Jessica Lange, Val Kilmer |
| Editing by | Pietro Scalia |
| Distributed by | Sony Pictures |
| Release date(s) | 2003 |
| Running time | 112 min. |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Masked and Anonymous is a 2003 film written and directed by Seinfeld writer Larry Charles. It was written along with and stars iconic rock legend Bob Dylan. The film has split many viewers and critics about its merits and meaning, as it was simultaneously hailed and panned upon its initial release.
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[edit] Plot
Its plot could be called thin on a superficial level; an iconic rock legend, Jack Fate, is bailed out of prison to perform a one man benefit concert for a decaying future North American society. Yet this is only a starting point for the deeper philosophical questions raised beneath the film's strange, meandering story. The film touches on many subjects from the futility of politics, the confusion of loosely strung government conspiracies, and the chaos created by both anarchy and Nineteen Eighty-Four-styled totalitarianism. It further reflects on life, dreams (with some scenes being reminiscent of the 2001 Richard Linklater film "Waking Life"), and God's place in a seemingly increasingly chaotic world.
In some ways, the film is political: it describes how Fate sees the political landscape (people fighting for no reason, a nation without hope, governments that can not be trusted) but at the same time Fate makes it clear that he "was always a singer and maybe no more than that". He produces no solutions to any of the problems the film presents. Rather, he makes it clear that he "stopped trying to figure everything out a long time ago."
[edit] History
The film was shot in only twenty days and was funded by the BBC. It was distributed by Sony Pictures Classics, a well-known distributor of independent productions. The soundtrack is composed almost entirely of covers of Bob Dylan songs ranging from his very early 1960's-era material to work as recent as songs from his 1997 Grammy-award winning album "Time Out of Mind". Artists who perform the songs include Los Lobos, Sertab Erener, Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia.[1]
Many of the film's actors worked for "scale" (union wages) for a chance to appear alongside Dylan, including Jeff Bridges, John Goodman (reunited after their work together in the 1998 Coen Brothers film The Big Lebowski, which also featured the 1970 Dylan song "The Man In Me"), Bruce Dern, Jessica Lange (who has had a long time relationship with playwright Sam Shepard who co-wrote the 1986 composition "Brownsville Girl" with Dylan, from the album "Knocked Out Loaded"), Penelope Cruz, Luke Wilson, Cheech Marin, Ed Harris, Chris Penn, Giovanni Ribisi, Christian Slater, Mickey Rourke, and Angela Bassett. In addition to several other actors of note, the band of the lead character is played by Dylan's actual touring band of the time. Other stars in the movie include Fred Ward and Val Kilmer.
Music from Dylan's entire career is presented in the movie, though his recent album Time Out Of Mind receives considerable play, with "Dirt Road Blues" and "Not Dark Yet" both used as background in scenes; Dylan also plays a new arrangement of "Cold Irons Bound" in the film's climax. Furthermore, a live performance of "Standing in the Doorway" was cut from the final edit, but included as a bonus on the DVD.
[edit] Quotes
"Would you reach out your hand to save a drowning man if you thought he might pull you in?"
Edmund: There will be no more stupidity. There will be no more mistakes. It's a new day. God help you all.
Jack Fate: I was always a singer and maybe no more than that. Sometimes it's not enough to know the meaning of things, sometimes we have to know what things don't mean as well. Like what does it mean to not know what the person you love is capable of? Things fall apart, especially all the neat order of rules and laws. The way we look at the world is the way we really are. See it from a fair garden and everything looks cheerful. Climb to a higher plateau and you'll see plunder and murder. Truth and beauty are in the eye of the beholder. I stopped trying to figure everything out a long time ago.
Uncle Sweetheart: [to Jack Fate] You look good. You got the "jail pale". It suits you.
Uncle Sweetheart: As long as I keep talking, I know I'm still alive.
Bobby Cupid: You would commit treason against your ownself
Jack Fate: All of us in some way are trying to kill time. When it's all said and done, time ends up killing us.
Uncle Sweetheart: I'm only human.
Jack Fate: I know, it ain't easy being human.
Tom Friend: Everybody's doing the killing now. Everybody's doing the dying.
Jack Fate: By the way, which side of the political fence are you on?
Desk Clerk: I do not belong to any political party, sir. I guess you could call me... a feminist
[edit] Unreleased recordings
From 1999 to 2002, Dylan's touring band was joined by veteran guitarist Charlie Sexton. Already an accomplished unit, the band's new configuration was arguably Dylan's best touring group since 1974, when Dylan played a brief two-month American tour with The Band. Highlighted by the interplay of Sexton and guitarist Larry Campbell, the group also featured Dylan's longtime bassist Tony Garnier, as well as two drummers: David Kemper (who left the band in late 2001) and George Receli (who was Kemper's replacement). Dylan began filming Masked & Anonymous soon after Receli's arrival.
Masked & Anonymous marked the first (and to date, only) release of "live" material from this unit. According to director Larry Charles, who recorded an interview for the film's DVD release, 20 or more songs were recorded for the film, with Charles telling Dylan he could play anything he wanted.
For the most part, the songs were recorded at Stage 6, Ray-Art Studios, Canoga Park, California, on July 18, 2002. Though all were presumably filmed, only a handful were used.
The following songs were featured in the film, with unedited versions included in the soundtrack release: "Down In The Flood" (a song from The Basement Tapes), "Dixie" (traditional), "Diamond Joe" (traditional), and "Cold Irons Bound" (a song from Time Out Of Mind).
The following songs were used for the film, but were never issued on CD: "Drifter's Escape" (a song from John Wesley Harding), "I'll Remember You" (a song from Empire Burlesque), "Blowin' In The Wind" (from The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan), "Watching The River Flow" (a song dating from 1971, when it was released as a single), "Dirt Road Blues" (from Time Out Of Mind) and "Amazing Grace" (traditional). Of these songs, only "I'll Remember You" was featured unedited and uninterrupted in the film.
As mentioned, "Standing In The Doorway" (another song from Time Out Of Mind) was featured as an alternate scene on the DVD. Unfortunately, it's interrupted by a few cut-aways to other characters in the film.
"Knockin' On Heaven's Door" (a song Dylan first recorded for Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid) was also filmed, but only a brief portion appears in the DVD's supplemental material.
A new 'fiddle' arrangement of "If You See Her, Say Hello" (from Blood On The Tracks) was also filmed, but it only appears as background music during the DVD's supplemental material.
Larry Charles mentions "All Along The Watchtower" (a song from John Wesley Harding) during his interview on the DVD, but no portion has ever been released.
As mentioned, a new recording of "Blowin' In The Wind" was used for the film. This is heard over the film's final shots and end credits. Unlike the other performances used in the film, this was a concert performance recorded at Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, Santa Cruz, California, on March 16, 2000 (when David Kemper was still with the band). This performance was previously found on the limited edition bonus CD single given away with The Best Of Bob Dylan Vol. 2 in the United Kingdom, and it was also featured on a promo CD single Live & Rare 2. Approximately 45 seconds of the harmonica solo was cut for the film while the previous CD releases feature the performance unedited.
