MY PARTNER and I were late catching up on the movie Bohemian Rhapsody as it has been showing some two or three weeks back. But the trip was all worth it. Funny that after the dinner, between the two of us, nobody protested to the pledge to watch the movie again. However, checking out the movie reviews, the ones who were disappointed caught my attention.
How do you squeeze a 45-year roller coaster life into a 2 hour film biography? Dahling, you can’t, really. It’s like translating Moby Dick or Noli Me Tangere from one language to the other. If you’re too literal, or faithful, you’re bound to get lost in translation. The best one can have is to highlight the highs and lows and hope you can find a string to tie them all. And before we even get lost in interpretation, the movie Bohemian Rhapsody is not only about Queen’s most flamboyant member Freddie Mercury though he is decidedly the tie that binds, but it is also about the whole creative process and genius that went through the “kind of magic”/ music of this iconic late 20th century band.
True, the film could very well be about the demons of racial conflict that the lead singer Freddie Mercury faced during the early days of his life leading to his decision to change his more interesting name Farrokh Bulsara to the poisonous-sounding and definitely more commercialized and perhaps more representative of his flamboyant persona: Freddie Mercury. A particularly explosive confrontational scene between Mercury and his family regarding the surname Bulsara “not good enough” was immediately toned down by a scene where Mercury rendered a haunting rendition of Happy Birthday to himself.
Given the global context, most certainly in countries like the US and Great Britain, the issue of racial discrimination would certainly connect to one of the most controversial and hurtful concerns of contemporary times. This is especially true, given that the racial conflicts have not spared the White House and the US is currently divided on what to do with a caravan of asylum migrants wanting to enter the American border. But then again, the filmmakers could easily argue that the film is not only about Freddie, it is also about the equally interesting members of the Queen Band members Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon.
True, the film could also very well be about the compelling HIV-Aids narrative that Freddie handled in the last days of his life. Freddie’s many Youtube biographies easily recount how he hid his Aids condition choosing in the end to disclose only the day before he died. Apparently, Freddie refused to be the poster boy for HIV-Aids. Given the increasing number of HIV infections in the Philippines, for example, the film can help a notch higher discussion. Interestingly enough, in his dying days, Freddie still recorded music, and particularly haunting and heart-breaking was Freddie’s rendition of the Great Pretender or his These Are The Days Of Our Lives.
Indeed, the HIV-Aids narrative was as universal as you can get. One can imagine the drama, the raw emotions, the moments of failure, as well as the love and courage surrounding Freddie’s battle with the then dreaded HIVAids. Many of us, perhaps all of us, can relate with such life experience. But then again, the creative force behind the movie chose not to exploit this powerful narrative. One disappointed critic was quick to note about the film’s “excessively sanitized version”.
But then again, Bohemian Rhapsody is about the creative construction of music. Not just any music, but the ones we can call extraordinary. Racial conflicts, HIV-Aids, perhaps even Freddie’s bisexuality, excesses of drugs, multiple and unprotected sex partners and expensive parties that Freddie in particular was known for, are all significant and interesting stories. But the sum of all these parts is that the Queen, particularly Freddie Mercury, is about that Bohemian Rhapsody called great music. And the film makers choose to focus on that.
The film brings us to the creative dna of the band. The film exposes us to the experimentation, to the charting of new musical territories, the theatrical bravado that its lead singer displayed, the commercial success and failure of Queen’s music. Particularly interesting is the attempt to marry two genres: opera and rock. The evidence that the experiment was a success, the world now revels on Bohemian Rhapsody.
Perhaps, the feeling of being shortchanged by the movie lies in the mixed expectation. Let’s be clear, the ticket we bought to watch Bohemian Rhapsody is not a concert ticket. Nor is it a ticket to get us through the riveting cracks, the naughty, amusing and attractive details of Freddie Mercury’s life. The movie is about the process of the creative genius behind one of the 20th centuries most successful and most loved and appreciated rock band. Not bad for an objective.
And if you happen to find yourself singing while watching the movie, it’s not that it tells you to what generation you belong to, it’s just show that like the millions of fans that still appreciate the Queen’s music, this wonderful musical infection has reached your ears. For no one, not that I know of, will ever leave the scene unaffected once you “bite the dust” of Queen.
If you can still catch up on the film in your nearest theater, and decide not to, you are doing yourself a great disservice. Promise, I witnessed a crowed of moviegoers who would not get out of the theater until the final musical note is delivered. Watch and be mesmerized! (raclores2014@gmail.com)
