Dylan in cinema

Abstract

[Exerpt from the final paragraph of the summary, page vi] In broad terms, the thesis shows Dylan as highly attuned to the language and construction of film as a means of structuring songs and composing lyrics. Also discernible are divides between the approach of the artist and that of mainstream film in regards to the narrative use of his music and the personage of the artist. Dylan often favours the serendipitous effects engendered by the music's tonal or emotional congruence with the narrative when contributing songs to a soundtrack. Visualisations of Dylan under the control of the performer often also favour simplicity and performer interaction. Mainstream filmmaking conversely employs Dylan's music in a more literal fashion, coded into which is the artist's (assumed) role in the 1960s counterculture, and the inference of political ideology and other representational qualities. This is played out in particular in evocations of the performer on-screen.