Bohemian Rhapsody is a story that has long awaited re–telling, and I have been awaiting its arrival since its trailer graced theaters . The movie released Nov. 2, telling the story of famous band Queen, and their journey towards making new and unique music. The film also tells the stories behind the personal lives of the band members, primarily focusing their lead singer, Freddie Mercury. The attention to detail in each of the song performances is impeccable and stays so true to the real life version of these songs, that it is hard to differentiate the actual events from the ones being recreated in the movie. For example, when Queen played their final show together, due to Mercury’s growing illness, at live aid was recreated beautifully. Side by side, one can marvel over how the film portrays the concert almost exactly like the real event.
Some lesser known details are included in the movie as well. No element was unaccounted for; even the signature teeth belonging to Mercury were present. Freddie had four extra teeth located on his upper jaw that pushed his front ones forward, causing an overbite which Freddie was constantly trying to hide. But he never considered fixing them. Although he was self conscious, he believed the extra room in his mouth gave him a special sound that made him gifted. The movie tells that he would always put the sound of his music before his appearance.
Actor Rami Malek portrays the singer as if he were born to do so. His performance was inspiring and reflects the actions of Mercury in a seamless way. He gives an award-worthy performance with beautiful execution.
Malek spoke on his portrayal of Mercury in a recent article by Vanity Fair and how to extend Mercury’s legacy: “The fact of the matter is we had two hours and the goal of this movie was to celebrate the man. If you wallow in certain elicit aspects of his life, you really lose out on the glory of who this authentic, defiant, revolutionary human being was and is.” Malek said.
Malek also explained that Mercury was a complicated but incredible artist, and how his music and songs shaped the modern world: “I looked at them almost as a diary,” Malek said. “He was pouring his heart out into these songs. They’re whimsical. They’re ethereal at times. They’re painful. The guy was a very complicated human being searching for love all his life, and you can hear it.” He said.
The extraordinary portrayal of Queen’s songs begs for moviegoers to sing along to every one. They also wrote songs in the early 70s and 80s, and them being re–sung in a large production film is what the world has been waiting for. As movies about the music industry grow more popular, we get to see a more realistic representation of what it is really like to go through the songwriting process. The film has its somber scenes and overall has beautiful visuals, astounding sound and showcases extraordinary actors. Their representations of these immensely popular artists will live on in movie and music history.
