“Is this real life? Is this just a fantasy?” The first words of the Queen’s set’s greatest hit may be a harbinger of trouble with the reception of the biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody”. Do the events on screen by Bryan Singer show the real Freddie Mercury or is it just autobiographical fiction?
A harbinger of future problems with the film’s reception “bohemian rhapsody” There was already a decision to withdraw from the project of the main production star – Sacha Baron Cohen. The British comedian and director, who was to play the role of Freddie Mercury, could not agree on the format of working with two Queen musicians as producers – Brian May and Roger Taylor, and as a result of “creative differences” they resigned from participation. in the movie.
Known for his uncompromising attitude, Cohen hoped to portray Freddie Mercury in a hardcore adult biopic that isn’t shy about showing all sides of the front man’s turbulent biography. The Queen’s musicians took an interest in blockbuster cinema for entire families, and was meant to celebrate the band’s musical legacy rather than focus on the controversy regarding the group’s leader’s private life.
We found him [Cohena] Being in a movie would be annoying [całość]“- He vaguely explained the reasons for which Sacha Baron Cohen Freddie Mercury did not become the screen.
Three years later, the person in question revealed himself the reason for his decision to abandon the project. One of the band members – I wouldn’t say any of them – said, ‘This is going to be a great movie because there’s going to be something great that ends in the middle. I asked him, “What will happen in the middle of the movie?” And he said, “You know, Freddy is going to die…” Cohen replied.
I asked, “So what’s going to happen in the second half of the movie?” He replied, “We’ll see how the band continues on its path to success.” I said, “No one is going to a movie where the main character dies of AIDS in the middle of the movie, and then we watch how the team works without him,” Cohen revealed.
In the end, the character of Freddie Mercury played the role of the famous from the series “Mr Robot”. Rami Malek. The cast also includes Ben Hardy (drummer Roger Taylor), Joe Mazzello (guitarist John Deacon), and Guillem Lee (guitarist Brian May).
The film, titled “Bohemian Rhapsody,” was announced as “a thrilling story about the band Queen, their music, and exceptional singer Freddie Mercury who broke stereotypes and norms, and won the admiration of countless fans.” The picture was supposed to show “the brilliant march of the band, which, thanks to its distinctive songs and revolutionary voice, rose to the height of fame, until Mercury’s scandalous lifestyle put everything into question.”
The band’s triumphant comeback during Live Aid’s concert with the sufferer from Mercury Station has forever entered rock history and continues to this day to be an inspiration to everyone who feels like a dreamer and a different, irredeemable musician. Fans around the world – these words announced the production, which hit cinema screens at the end of 2018 and quickly became a cinematic success.
Bohemian Rhapsody has grossed $910 million worldwide (on a budget of $52 million), making Quinn the highest-grossing musical autobiography in movie history. However, critics did not like the picture. On the popular website Rotten Tomatoes, which collects online reviews in one place, only 60% of texts about “Bohemian Rhapsody” were positive.
Although Variety’s Owen Gilberman praised Rami Malek’s prolific performance, he argued that the film lacked the originality shown by the actor in the lead role. Accusing the Irish Independent of inaccuracies, Paul Whittington complained, inter alia, of: “the literalism, dramatic brevities and one-dimensionality of the supporting characters”.
Stephanie Zachark (“The Time”) didn’t beat the bush, calling “Bohemian Rhapsody” a “movie mess” and admitting it was more for sensual viewers than “quality control experts.”
In turn, Alexis Petrides of the “Guardian” drew attention to the problem of originality of screen events, claiming that “Bohemian Rhapsody” is so easy to deal with the band’s biography that it is almost ridiculous. “you started [seans] From noticing minor chronological errors, you end up falling to the ground,” Petrides wrote.
There are many factual errors in “Bohemian Rhapsody,” but they are somewhat marginal. Freddie Mercury found out he had AIDS two years after Live Aid and not, as shown in the movie, right before the show. He met his partner, Jim Hutton, at a gay bar, not while visiting a coffee shop where the guy worked as a waiter (in fact he was a hairdresser).
On the other hand, David Ehrlich of IndieWire accused the production of being conservative, claiming that “Bohemian Rhapsody” puts “myth above fact”, adding that “the truth is simply more interesting”.
The best contrast between the intentions of the filmmakers and the expectations of the critics was summed up by Peter Travers of Rolling Stone, who wrote that the idea of creating a family film out of a life of rock and roll without censorship leaves a clue. The viewer who feels that “something essential is missing”.
Screenwriter and producer Brian Fuller, author of “Where the Daisies Smell,” also highlighted the fact that the movie about Queen might be a fake Freddie Mercury autobiography.
“Anyone else a little upset that Freddie Mercury is flirting with a woman in the ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ trailer, but we won’t find any trace of his relationship with men?” are commercial considerations.
Fuller also referred to the film’s official description, which includes an excerpt about a “life-threatening illness” of Mercury. Dear label 20th Century Fox. Yes, it was a life-threatening disease, but more specifically, it was AIDS. [Choroba, którą] Infected as a result of homosexual sex. You have to try harder,” the panel producer mocked.
A strategy of avoiding presenting queer content to a large audience, Fuller called “the erasure of queer” and in “Bohemian Rhapsody” was the revelation of Mercury’s relationship to Mary Austen’s former partner and longtime friend, while neglecting or marginalizing the star’s same-sex relationships.
Despite the negative reviews, “Bohemian Rhapsody” received as many as five Oscar nominations, which turned it into four figurines. They went to the male actors – Rami Malek and editor John Othman; The film also won in the technical categories “Best Sound” and “Best Sound Editing”.
Internet users quickly noticed that “Bohemian Rhapsody” is one of the least-rated films in the history of the Academy Awards by critics. With 60% of positive reviews, it was far from the worst movie in this ranking, “Scary Loud, Incredably Close” (2011), which was nominated for an Academy Award with only 45% of critics’ favourite.
Fraser Nelson of The Spectator commented, “Don’t believe the critics. If you like Queen’s music, go to a movie about the Queen.” He compared the negative press reaction to “Bohemian Rhapsody” to the equally critical reception of “Bohemian Rhapsody” immediately after its premiere. Fellow opener Toby Young described the film’s success at the Academy Awards as a “victory over arrogant critics”.
The Oscar-winning Bohemian Rhapsody—although it didn’t win the most significant figurine, the celebratory’s most frequent title—was met with the usual complaints from critics about the quality of the Oscars. Editor John Ottman got the most results. Film critic and director Thomas Flight, in a video-realistic essay, squashed the editing quality of Bohemian Rhapsody, claiming it was an expression of “disrespect for the viewer”. Flight focused its analysis on one scene from the film, in which the team meets future director John Reed, ruthlessly pointing out Ottman’s fatal editing errors.
The editor himself agreed with the allegations in an interview with The Washington Post. “When I see this scene, I want to put a bag over my head,” Ottmann admitted, explaining that when editing the sequence he filmed material by two directors (Bryan Singer was replaced by Dexter Fletcher two weeks before filming); In addition, he should have taken into account the producers’ advice and made corrections after the first reactions of viewers after audition shows.
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