Bohemian Rhapsody (2018): Directed By Bryan Singer and Dexter Fletcher / Countries: United Kingdom, United States / Starring: Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Aidan Gillen, Tom Hollander, Mike Myers.
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) had a huge responsibility; show us a beginning of Queen band, their work through years, a life of Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara) and to satisfied millions of bloodthirsty Queen fans. Queen Fans probably have better knowledge about big and small details in Queen’s history than actual band members. Preparations for the movie ware long, few actors ware replaced, band members did their part in helping the crew and even director was replaced; so the question is how much Bohemian Rhapsody is historically correct.
Preparations
Bohemian Rhapsody was announced in 2010 and a first choice to play Freddie Mercury was Sacha Baron Cohen, aka Ali G., aka Borat.
Plans did not go well; Cohen and director left the project and band members didn’t like the first script. Apparently, Brian May (bang guitarist) wanted to focus on other members and aftermath of Mercury’s death and Cohen wanted to show Mercury’s extravagant life in his fullness. Maybe, is better this way; who can take Cohen seriously.
Cohen said for the firsts script that it is historically accurate, an outrageous portrayal of Mercury that does not shy away from Mercury’s rough edges, including his well-documented homosexual encounters and promiscuity.
Shame that we didn’t see that script in the movie. Cohen left project 2013. witch stalled until 2016. Rami Malek was cast.
Gathering
True Queen fans were known from the start that movie is simplifying things. Ok, sometimes real history is too boring, but you don’t need to show a meeting of characters like a meeting of two main characters in a poorly written buddy action movie.
The movie shows that Freddie Mercury meets Roger Taylor (band drummer played by Ben Hardy) and Brian May (Gwilym Lee) in a single night after their lead singer left their band called Smile. The same night movie Freddie Mercury meets his future love Mary Austin (Lucy Boynton) while complimenting her on her coat.
Actually, that did not happen at all. They already have known each other.
Mercury was longtime friends with Tim Staffell (the guy who left Smile) and was a fan of the Smile band. He also showed interest on several occasions in becoming a member, and other members didn’t relent until Staffell quit in 1970.
Also, Freddie met Mary Austin when he was already the lead singer of the band. Before that Austin briefly dated Brian May. They didn’t get along so Freddie expressed to Brian he was interested in her. Even a movie meeting with Tim Hutton is a lie.
Forced and fictional drama
Along with simplifying thing, the movie is packed with fictional drama.
The peak of drama is a Live Aid concert 1985. Prior to the concert, we see that Rami Malek is struggling with AIDS and former partner who betrayed him. Also, Queen is struggling how to not fall apart after a long time of not playing together while Mercury is forcing his solo career.
Despite these obstacles, the band finds the strength to shine in one of the historical best live performance and we are all happy and then the movie ends.
That is absolutely not true.
AIDS recognition probably did not happen before Live Aid concert and betrayal of manager Paul Prenter for sure did happen one year after the concert. Hi sold the story about Freddie Mercury’s personal life and his AIDS diagnosis to The Sun, Britain’s newspaper for £32,000. Hi did not sell the story while visiting TV show, as is depicted in the movie.
Queen did not split up, so Live Aid was not a reunion.
The film depicts Mercury’s going solo as breaking up the band and shows his time in Munich as if he were isolated from the others. In fact, all band members were working on solo projects between 1982 and 1985, even as the band recorded and toured together. Roger Taylor was recording his solo album at the same Munich studio and at the same time Mercury was working on his solo album.
Queen had last show of the tour eight weeks before Live Aid. They were well-rehearsed for the show and did not have to get back into shape as a band.
If all that drama is not true, what is the meaning of the movie?!
Personal revenge
One of not so obvious aspect of the movie is personal revenge of Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor.
They were key players in the production of this film so they gave crucial information about people around Queen band. Some people are glorified, like Freddie, but few people are roasted.
Ray Foster
Firstly, in the movie, we see Ray Foster (Mike Myers); a fiction manager who did not like Bohemian Rhapsody song so much that he lost Queen band. Even Freddie told him that he will be remembered as the guy who lost Queen and soon afterward smashed his window with a rock.
That is all made up. Ray Foster did not exist, nor did they fired their manager or label company. Character is loosely based on an EMI Records chief Roy Featherstone, who had doubts about the length of Bohemian Rhapsody song, but otherwise was generally supportive of the band.
Filmmakers decided to show us all negative feedback from the label company and managers in one person instead of a bunch of them. The reaction of critics is shown in the movie through newspaper headlines.
Paul Prenter
The second person from the revenge list is Paul Prenter, Freddie’s personal manager from 1977 to 1986. Prenter betrayed him by selling the singer’s personal information to UK newspapers (not for failing to tell Mercury about Live Aid). This information included their own on and other affairs, singer’s lifestyle and noting how Mercury’s former lovers were dying of AIDS as shown in the movie.
The movie portrayed him as a freeloader and somebody who managed a split in the band by controlling Freddy’s life and career.
In real life, Taylor did not like him and along with other people associated with the band viewed him as a self-serving parasite.
Truth is probably close to the movie version, but as Pretner died of AIDS three months after Freddie we are left with one side story.
John Reid / Chrissie Mullen / Tim Staffel
Two more people got revenge; ex-manager John Reid (manager in years 1975 – 1978) and Chrissie Mullen, the first wife Brian May.
John Reid (Aidan Gillen) was portrayed as a sleazy guy who wanted to break up the band by forcing Freddie’s solo career.
For that role, they choose Aidan Gillen, an actor known for playing super sleazy Littlefinger in Game of Thrones.
John Reid was only 26 years old when he started managing Queen, but Aidan Gillen was actually 49 during filming. Interesting, in Rocketman Reid is played by another Game of Thrones star, Richard Madden.
By Reid’s words, he departed from Queen in a friendly manner, not as violent shown in the movie.
By showing Reid as a manipulator in Rocketman and Bohemian Rhapsody, we can all agree who is having a lousy year.
Chrissie Mullen, the first wife of lead guitarist Brian May, was unhappy at how she was portrayed in the movie – prompting producers to cut her out altogether. She had protested to her ex-husband Brian
There is also a screen with Tim Staffel while he is leaving a Smile for a band called Humpy Bong with a statement: They’re gonna be big.
All in all, it seems that Taylor and May had crossed off all names from their revenge list.
Conclusion
We all had had great expectations for this movie and most of them are fulfilled; Freddie singing and acting parts are wonderful. The problem is in all other parts.
They tried to be a historical correct as they can be; wigs all the time, clothes, replica of May’s guitar Red Special, etc.
Problem is that we expected more from Freddie’s colourful life and more truth in it. For example, prior to their Live Aid performance, Dire Stairs ware playing before Queen, not U2 like in the movie. Simple switcheroo to show younger generations how famous U2 ware playing before Queen.
With fictional drama and events, this movie is less a biographical testimony of greatest band of all time, and more like Mama Mia; easy entertainment full of excellent songs and loosely story to give a meaning for playing these songs.
Bohemian Rhapsody historical truth cannot be lower despite actual members worked in making this movie. No props could replace fictional drama. This movie is like warm soup; anyone can digest it (except the countries where homosexual part ware cut out).
[…] events to sell something that never happened the way it is shown, just like AIDS and the concert in Bohemian Rhapsody. It would be great if showrunners write down what things are […]