“Even the ghost was more than one person”: Authorship and Authorisation in I’m Not There

Authors

  • Marcus O'Dair Middlesex University

Keywords:

authorisation, authorship, biopic, Todd Haynes, heteroglossia, Bob Dylan

Abstract

“This is not a Bob Dylan movie” ran the headline of Robert Sullivan’s New York Times feature about I’m Not There, the 2007 Dylan biopic directed by Todd Haynes. In one sense, this is quite true: Dylan is depicted by six actors, between them portraying seven characters, yet none of these characters is named Bob Dylan. I argue, however, that I’m Not There is very much a Bob Dylan movie; contrary to the title, Bob Dylan is there. I frame my argument with reference to the notion of heteroglossia (Bakhtin 1981), as well as theories of authorship (Foucault 1984, Barthes 1977) and the authorisation of biography (Renders 2017). Although it focuses on a single film, my article feeds into broader discussions of identity construction in popular music biopics and the relationship between popular music biopics and other biographical texts. 10.5429/2079-3871(2017)v7i1.7en

Author Biography

Marcus O'Dair, Middlesex University

Senior lecturer in popular music

References

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Discography

Dylan, Bob. 1962. “Talkin’ New York”, Bob Dylan, Columbia, March 19, UK.

Dylan, Bob. 1964. “It Ain’t Me Babe”, Columbia, 1964, August 8, UK.

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Kristofferson, Kris. 1971. “The Pilgrim – Chapter 33”, The Silver Tongued Devil and I, Monument, July, UK.

Videography

20 Feet from Stardom. 2013. Dir. Morgan Neville. Gil Friesen Productions, Tremolo Productions.

Dont Look Back. 1967. Dir. D. A. Pennebaker. Leacock-Pennebaker.

Eat The Document. 1972. Dir. Bob Dylan. Pennebaker Associates.

I’m Not There. 2007. Dir. Todd Haynes. DVD. The Weinstein Company.

Jimi: All Is By My Side. 2013. Dir. John Ridley. Darko Entertainment, Freeman Film, Subotica Entertainment, Irish Film Board, Matador Pictures, AIBMS

McCabe and Mrs Miller. 1971. Dir. Robert Altman. David Foster Productions/Warner Bros.

Muscle Shoals. 2013. Dir. Greg Camalier. Ear Goggles.

Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. 1973. Dir. Sam Peckinpah. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Standing in the Shadows of Motown. 2002. Dir. Paul Justman. Artisan Entertainment, Rimshot, Elliott Scott Productions.

Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story. 1987. Dir. Todd Haynes. Iced Tea Productions.

Velvet Goldmine. 1998. Dir. Todd Haynes. Channel 4 Films, Goldwyn Films, Killer Films, Miramax, Newmarket Capital Group, Single Cell Pictures, Zenith Entertainment.

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Published

30-10-2017

Issue

Section

Articles – Special Issue