Bohemian Rhapsody – 2018
This movie was a biography of the famous lead singer of the rock band Queen, Freddy Mercury, between the time when he joined the band and the time they performed at the Live Aid charity event in 1985. On the one hand, it was a very good film, was very entertaining to watch, and easily worthy of its Best Picture nomination. On the other hand, it had a few noteworthy historical inaccuracies that need to be recognized. So I’ll cover those first.
First, there were little things like rearranged time lines. For instance, in the film, the song We Will Rock You, was written in 1980 by Brian May. In reality, the song had been written in 1977. Or, in the film, Freddie told his bandmates about his sickness just before the climactic 1985 Live Aid concert. In reality, he didn’t know he had AIDS until 1987, and did not tell the rest of the band until 1989. But the screenwriter, Anthony McCarten defended his script, saying that the changes were made for dramatic effect, and that he was making a movie, not a documentary. I agree with his assessment completely.
Second, there were a few things that were completely invented, again, for dramatic effect. For example, in the film, Freddie breaks up the band by announcing that he had signed a contract to do a solo album. Then when things go badly for him, he returns to the band as a penitent, begging them to take him back. That was all completely false. In reality, all the band members had been working on solo projects, so there was no begging for readmittance. Also, Queen never broke a contract with EMI records. That never happened. I have a bigger problem with these changes since they are a misrepresentation of the real people’s motivations and personalities, but I have to admit that these fabrications did make the movie more dramatic.
However, those things can be easily overlooked. The things that they got right far outweighed the inaccuracies. One of the greatest things about the movie, I think, was the casting. The film was perfectly cast with Rami Malek playing the demanding role of Freddie Mercury, Gwilym Lee as lead guitarist Brian May, Ben Hardy as drummer Roger Taylor, and Joe Mazzello as bassist John Deacon. These actors looked very much like the real people, which tends to lend a thick layer of reality to the film. And as a side note, I nearly missed the fact that the man playing John Deacon was the child actor who played the little boy in the original Jurassic Park.
Malek won the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance, and I think it was well deserved! He really was incredible! He had to take both singing and piano lessons, as well as having to work with an accent coach. To embody Freddie accurately, he had to mimic his mannerisms, both on and off the stage. That must have been hard to do, since the real Freddie was unique and had a powerful stage presence that was all his own. I think that Malek, while maybe not as captivating as the real Mercury, did a pretty impressive job. And I have to say, thank God that the man who was originally supposed to play the part, Sacha Baron Cohen, left the production. I’m sorry, but I have never been a big fan of the comedian.
Other notable members of the cast include Lucy Boynton as Mercury’s long-time girlfriend, Mary Auston, Allen Leech as Paul Prenter, Mercury’s personal manager and lover, Aidan Gillan as John Reid, Queen’s manager, Mike Myers as EMI record producer Ray Foster, and Aaron McCusker as Jim Hutton, Freddie’s boyfriend. And I have to take a moment to mention that I really loved the character of Hutton. He was portrayed as a really nice guy who treated the superstar with kindness and compassion. But really, everyone did a great job.
Next, the costumes and sets were great. So not only did the filmmakers have to dress the cast in clothing from the sixties, seventies, and early eighties, but they had to recreate the glam-rock stage outfits that the band wore in their concerts. That was pretty impressive since some of those pieces were pretty flamboyant and even iconic. Also, the movie’s climax took place at Wembley Stadium, a place that no longer exists as it did in 1985. So, they built an exact re-creation for the movie. It was so perfectly constructed that the actual director of Live Aid, who was present during filming, was pleased with the accuracy of the set. They even went so far as to have the Pepsi cups and beer on the piano as Queen performed. Little details like those made the movie incredibly realistic, despite the narrative’s dramatic liberties. It was a look into both the public and private lives of Mercury and Queen.
But still, I guess when it comes down to it, I have to admit that one of the real reasons I liked the movie as much as I did, was that I am a big fan of Queen’s music, and there was certainly a lot of it featured! They were simply one of the greatest rock bands of all time. Their music was awesome. It was complex, varied, and always well-produced, but it was also singable, memorable, and just plain fun to listen to. And Freddie was one of the best rock performers ever! He knew how to give the audiences what they wanted, and he always delivered.