Like he does in the film, Timothée Chalamet perfectly channels Bob Dylan on the A Complete Unknown soundtrack, and he gets some help from Edward Norton, Monica Barbaro, and Boyd Holbrook.
The A Complete Unknown original motion picture soundtrack perfectly captures the electric spirit of James Mangold’s biopic on the legendary Bob Dylan. The 23-track collection, recorded live on set, brings the Greenwich Village folk scene to life with Timothée Chalamet stepping into Dylan’s boots to deliver impressive renditions of classics like “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall,” “Like A Rolling Stone,” and “Girl From The North Country.”
It’s a daunting task to embody one of music’s most mythic figures, but Chalamet rises to the challenge, channeling Dylan’s raw vocal intensity with striking authenticity. He’s joined by an ensemble cast that adds another dimension to the soundtrack, as Edward Norton as Pete Seeger, Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez, and Boyd Holbrook as Johnny Cash each lend their voices, making the proceedings feel more like an actual concert captured in time than a film companion.
Set against the backdrop of a nation on the brink of social upheaval, A Complete Unknown the movie traces Dylan’s arrival in New York City as a 19-year-old hopeful with a guitar, harmonica, and an uncanny gift for storytelling. As the film follows Dylan’s meteoric rise from coffeehouse performer to cultural hero, the soundtrack echoes his evolving sound - from the plaintive folk ballads that first won over Greenwich Village crowds to the thunderous electric set that sparked both adoration and outrage at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.
What makes this soundtrack stand out isn’t just the reverence for Dylan’s songs, it’s the way each track captures the spirit of the era. Norton’s take on Seeger’s folk purity and Barbaro’s soulful Baez interpretations evoke the communal spirit of the Village, while Holbrook’s rugged take on Cash adds a dose of Southern spirit. But it’s Chalamet’s transformative performance that holds it all together, capturing the restless genius that propelled Dylan to rewrite the rules of American music.
From tender acoustic moments like “Blowin’ In The Wind” to the defiant swagger of “Maggie’s Farm,” the album captures both the poetry and rebellion that defined Dylan’s early years. It’s a living, breathing tribute that may not be as immediate and urgent as the original recordings, but it’s as close a facsimile as you can get. Maybe most importantly, it’s a reminder that more than half a century later, Dylan’s words still cut to the bone.