The pop-culture icon known as David Bowie has had a far-reaching effect upon both music and film; he was the poster child for glam rock and he carried that persona into films. That Bowie would so easily penetrate into the film world speaks to his popularity and influence, but for a feature film to spawn from the story of his fictional character Ziggy Stardust firmly cements him as a legendary performer. Director Todd Haynes’s Velvet Goldmine harkens back to the age of glam rock’s heights and carves a filmic statue in Bowie’s honor, fleshing out the tale of Ziggy Stardust, albeit by proxy. The film captures brilliantly the essence of glam rock with some very experimental moments that make Velvet Goldmine an odd film that’s all at once alienating and entrancing.
Velvet Goldmine approaches the story of a faded glam rock star from the perspective that always gives the most candid view of pop-culture: in retrospect. Arthur Stuart (Christian Bale) is writing an article on glam rock legend Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) and the series of events that took him from his throne at the top and buried him in obscurity. To properly capture the story from every angle, Arthur begins retracing Slade’s story through the eyes of those who knew him best: his lover (Ewan McGregor), his wife (Toni Collette), his competition, groupies, and more. The picture that develops doesn’t flatter the rocker, but it begs the question of why Slade did the things he did, and whether he really did them at all.
The performances of Meyers, Bale, McGregor, and Collette help piece together a tableau of great performances in a very dream-like, ethereal narrative. Haynes didn’t make a simplistic biopic; he constructed a monument to a legend, and managed to include the nebulous nature of such a status. Velvet Goldmine isn’t the typical tribute film or even the average story of a rock star, it’s a film unlike any other.
Blu-ray Bonus Features
The sole extra feature is a worthwhile audio commentary with Director Haynes and Producer Christine Vachon, who discuss the influences within the film and the choices made to make a film that can stand as a testament to Bowie’s particular style of showmanship.
"Velvet Goldmine" is on sale December 13, 2011 and is rated R. Drama. Directed by Todd Haynes. Written by James Lyons, Todd Haynes. Starring Christian Bale, Eddie Izzard, Ewan McGregor, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Toni Collette.
