I grew up with Queen’s music while going to
school and loved their dramatic, lyrical, diverse sounds, but I knew very
little about the band itself during that time.
Whatever you might think of the rock band Queen,
or director Bryan Singer, or whether this musical tribute to the band is
accurately portrayed, it matters little as there is no denying the sheer
emotional power of this rapturous film that tells the story of one of the legendary
performers of our time.
Bohemian
Rhapsody follows frontman Freddie Mercury (Rami
Malek) as he gains fame and battles with his identity as a bisexual of
immigrant parents, and his relationship with fans and the other band members.
The music of Queen is so brilliantly used
here to connect the turbulent story of lead singer Freddie Mercury and his rise
to fame; a performer who believed so strongly in himself and his ability to
capture an audience with his amazing vocal range that his bursting onstage energy
could barely be contained.
The historic epic performance of the band’s
Live Aid appearance that bookends the film is one of the most euphoric and powerful
cinematic experiences of any film I’ve seen.
We meet Freddie at the beginning of the
film working as a baggage handler at an airport in England and scribbling
poetry and lyrics in his spare time. When he goes out at night to see a small
band play at a nightclub gig, he approaches the band members after the show to
offer his admiration and boast of his own musical talent. This is the early
group of musicians who would eventually become the musical phenomenon of the
70s known as Queen.
Bohemian
Rhapsody shows us the creative process of a
disparate group of misfits with an unwavering belief and acceptance of each
other while working as a family unit. And the power of Queen’s music comes from
Freddie’s ability to use his incredible vocals in a way that spoke to those who
are outsiders and feel unwanted or unloved.
Like Queen’s music, the critics were not
always kind to the film, slamming it for its inaccuracies, but for many fans that
are not familiar with the band’s private or public history, Bohemian Rhapsody absolutely works as an
emotionally satisfying film with so many iconic songs that it easily warrants
multiple viewing. Most filmgoers have come away from the experience with
elation.
Bohemian
Rhapsody was nominated for 5 Academy Awards,
including Best Picture and Best Actor for Rami Malek who has already won the
Golden Globe and the SAG Awards, making him the front runner to win the Oscar. The
film also won the Golden Globe for Best Picture – Drama.
JP
