“A terrible movie”: Joan Baez’s scathing review of Bob Dylan’s directing
Considering the endless discourse about Bob Dylan and his monumental legacy, it only feels appropriate to claim Joan Baez as perhaps the best placed to judge his character and artistry. After all, Baez not only worked closely with the mysterious troubadour on numerous occasions, but she also blossomed in the same musical circles and developed a good understanding of the mind behind the magic.
While Dylan’s impact is somewhat complicated, especially in modern conversations, it’s also indisputable. Whether darkness exists behind the myth or not, Dylan altered the course of music in unimaginable ways, reinventing what it meant to intertwine poetry and intellect with music in ways other lyrical storytellers could merely dream of. In other words, Dylan remains the blueprint for many.
However, this fascination also meant that Baez’s talent and achievements were often eclipsed, leaving her existing in Dylan’s shadows despite emerging as an equally important voice during the counterculture movement. Dylan was entirely enamoured with Baez during the early stages of their relationship, endeared to the gentle sway of her unmistakable charms, but his explosion left her by the wayside, complicating a bond that once felt as simple as breathing.
In the years that followed, Baez clarified the complexities of their estrangement with varying assessments about his character and artistry, noting how his mystique likely stemmed from his growing ego, even if he didn’t notice it himself. Even when she recalled working together in 1975, the bitterness ceased to linger, despite Baez claiming his demeanour to be “self-absorbed, but that’s his nature”.
However, there is always back-and-forth between Baez and Dylan, as evidenced by an incident in 1984 when she joined the singer for his European tour. She also once dismissed his 1978 film Renaldo And Clara with a casual remark about his directorial approach, telling Mojo that “it was a terrible movie” that was recorded “like a boy scout wandering around with a camera, shooting whatever they felt like shooting.”
Still, unlike many of his sceptical peers, Baez’s criticisms seem to come less from a place of toxicity and more as a genuine commentary on his capabilities from someone who truly knows. After all, there’s a growing list of people who find Dylan’s legacy overbearing and not at all representative of someone who actually made a mark as big as it seems. However, Baez has actually lived in close quarters and knows his whims enough to understand what works and what doesn’t.
At the same time, she also remains diplomatic where others would appear more forthcoming in their charge. For instance, some might argue that Baez is within her rights to aggravate Dylan and dismantle his legacy with ease, especially considering how he treated her through the years and the many ways he distracted others from her art. However, it’s clear that her sentimentality and appreciation override any impulse for fighting, showing a deeply embedded integrity that most artists will never reach.
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