Unwrapping of Bohemian Rhapsody

Unwrapping Bohemian Rhapsody

  Bohemian Rhapsody is a foot-stomping celebration of Queen, their music and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury. Freddie defied stereotypes and shattered convention to become one of the most beloved entertainers on the planet. The film traces the meteoric rise of the band through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound. They reach unparalleled success, but in an unexpected turn Freddie, surrounded by darker influences, shuns Queen in pursuit of his solo career. Having suffered greatly without the collaboration of Queen, Freddie manages to reunite with his bandmates just in time for Live Aid. While bravely facing a recent AIDS diagnosis, Freddie leads the band in one of the greatest performances in the history of rock music. Queen cements a legacy that continues to inspire outsiders, dreamers and music lovers to this day

-Fox Movies

             

  “Is this the real life? or Is this just fantasy?” It is a fitting question regarding the biographical film Bohemian Rhapsody. Are we going to get the facts? Or will it be heavily filtered? Behind all the dramas and replacements in the making of the film, amidst arguments as to what should be the focus of the film, the production have presented a safe and non-scandalous narration of Freddie Mercury’s life and the making of the legendary band, Queen. The film is an 8 out 10. Despite the spectacular performance of Rami Malek (Freddie Mercury), the weak points were in the montage of events and the angle of what story should be told. It seemed like a page of each chapter was taken, placed together and created a surface level of narration.

Casting is on point

                The casting director did a splendid job in choosing the actors to play the members of the Queen. Rami Malek who played Freddie has given his best shot in his portrayal. Ben Hardy who played Roger Taylor, Joseph Mazello who played John Deacon, and Gwilym Lee who played Brian May in the film were the spitting look-alikes of the original members. Their portrayals were so on point that during the Live Aid Concert in1985 I cannot see any hint of Malek and the rest of the cast. It was really mind-whacking! Aside from that, that acts, gestures, dance moves were copied exactly as to how it happened during that fateful LiveAid concert.

        

   The debaucheries of Freddie was subtly shown in the film as per request of May and Taylor. The progression of Queen’s success is very smooth, the band’s struggle to break free from conventions were given less attention. Less emphasis was also given to Jim Hutton whose order of appearance never really happened in real life. I find the scene of Freddie confessing to Mary Austin that he is bisexual as not impactful. In that momentum day of the Live Aid Concert, I think there is dumping of scenes because Freddie has to look for Jim Hutton, then introduced Jim to his family and proceeded to rock the Wimbley Stadium. He has to do lots of things in one day. According to the film crew and directors, it was hard to sum up the greatness of Freddie and the Band into a 2 hour movie.

          Freddie's disease which took his life was not also thoroughly shown. In real life, he was tested twice. On the second test, he had the disease. It was as if Freddie had faced AIDS alone when in real life, Jim never left his side.

Why you should watch it?

                As a 90’s kid, I have heard of the rock anthems like Bohemian Rhapsody, We are the Champions, We Will Rock You and others but never had I dug on the artists behind it. The film had opened a new door for me to appreciate the majesty of Queen. After watching the film, for sure you might want to go to Youtube and rape the replay button in some of Queen’s performances or go on a scavenger hunt for more videos of Freddie Mercury like I did. The film has this hooking phenomenon that will make you want more. In short, the film is addicting!

              My favorite part of the movie is when Freddie went to see the doctor. As he passed by a patient who also had the disease, the patient sang "Ayyoo". In response, Freddie sang "Ayyoo". It was as if they were confirming that no one is alone in fighting the disease.

  I am recommending you to watch this film because Malek is great in here. The film will not only captivate your ears but will also leave a scar in your heart because we lost a legend. It would even leave you to wondering why are we born in a generation without Freddie? To sum up, the film is real (despite the wrong timeline), it may seem like a fantasy but I guess that’s the art of Bohemian Rhapsody.Truth is in question but it’s always in tune.

Sources:

https://www.google.com.ph/search?q=Bohemian+Rhapsody+photos&rlz=1C1GCEA_enPH817PH817&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=EtDEPKnshib4JM%253A%252C6LRZfDtraUri6M%252C_&usg=AI4_-kQwkhZcAwckqBU1mS-9vzFPKbh8Zw&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwim85ThgP7eAhVUVH0KHWnDDcsQ9QEwBXoECAIQDg#imgrc=p0D1jluTG9ETjM:

https://www.foxmovies.com/movies/bohemian-rhapsody