The recent rise in biopic films is a trend I have come to appreciate. If done well and for the right reasons, biopic films can serve as a way to tell someone’s story and share their legacy from a unique, creative perspective.
One of the newest biopic films, “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,” lives up to the expectations in a way many may not expect.
The movie stars Jeremy Allen White, who portrays Bruce Springsteen, an American singer and songwriter who gained popularity in the ‘70s.
At the surface level, the movie explores Bruce Springsteen’s life and career during the creation of his album “Nebraska.” The film covers the production of the album, while also looking at the beginning stages of his album “Born in the U.S.A.”
On a deeper level, though, the film explores Springsteen’s childhood and the memories that stayed with him into adulthood, thus influencing his music and artistry.
While this film focuses on Springsteen’s life in the early ‘80s, it frequently utilizes flashbacks to showcase Springsteen’s childhood, which is something I think works to its advantage.
The use of flashbacks allows this biopic film to be very layered, in the sense that Springsteen’s career is not the main or only focus. In fact, I would argue that the main focus of the movie is Springsteen’s family dynamic as a child and how that inadvertently changed how he handled his career and fame.
With this being said, the flashbacks are not overbearing, and their placement throughout the film is intentional while still feeling natural.
Going into this movie, I didn’t really know what to expect. I knew it was a biopic film and that it was starring one of my favorite actors, but that was about it. I didn’t have any background knowledge on Bruce Springsteen’s life or career, and I honestly think it made the movie that much better.
This film is very well-rounded in the sense that it tells you just enough to feel satisfied, while still leaving room to reflect on the themes. A lot of insight regarding Springsteen’s personality and creative process is provided, which allows the audience to see him in a more vulnerable, humanized and relatable light.
From a technical standpoint, this movie features many aspects that contribute to its overall quality, with the acting at the forefront.
White’s performance as Springsteen is incredible, and he embodies the character well. White actually sings the songs in the film himself, and his voice is insanely similar to Springsteen’s, which only immerses you into the story more.
The film’s soundtrack mostly features covers of Springsteen’s songs sung by White, which could be good or bad, depending on how you feel about his music. However, when paired with the cinematic shots and lighting, the music adds to the tone and plot, instead of just acting as filler.
The one critique I have for this film is that near the end, it was hard to pinpoint where and what the climax of the story would be. I could feel the movie building up to something, but I wasn’t sure what that was, which made the movie start to drag on for me near the end. I think refining some of the scenes and making it about 30 minutes shorter would solve the problem well.
If you’re looking for a unique movie to watch this year, I highly recommend taking a trip to your local theater to watch this film. It doesn’t shy away from tackling hard issues and brings a distinct, unique angle to biopic films, making it one you won’t want to miss.
