Plot: Portrait of an artist as a young man. Roughly chronological, using archival footage intercut with recent interviews, a story takes shape of Bob Dylan's (b. 1941) coming of age from 1961 to 1966 as a singer, songwriter, performer, and star. He takes from others: singing styles, chord changes, and rare records. He keeps moving: on stage, around New York City and on tour, from Suze Rotolo to Joan Baez and on, from songs of topical witness to songs of raucous independence, from folk to rock. He drops the past. He refuses, usually with humor and charm, to be simplified, classified, categorized, or finalized: always becoming, we see a shapeshifter on a journey with no direction home.
Alternative Plot: This documentary film traces musician Bob Dylan's evolution from folk troubadour to iconic rock star. Live concert footage and press conferences from the 1960s and a new interview with Dylan are used to draw a portrait of the legendary singer-songwriter. Additionally, the film features interviews conducted with some of Dylan's closest friends and fellow artists, including poet Allen Ginsberg, former love interest and noted performer Joan Baez, and Dylan's early mentor, Pete Seeger.
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