Renaldo and Clara
Encyclopedia
Renaldo and Clara is a surrealist
movie, directed by and starring Bob Dylan
. Filmed in 1975, during Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue
tour, it was released in 1978. In its original form, it is nearly four hours long.
The movie was written by Dylan
and stars him as Renaldo, and his then-wife Sara Dylan
as Clara, with longtime pal Ronnie Hawkins
playing the role of 'Bob Dylan' (although basically appearing as himself). Renaldo and Clara also features appearances from both Bob's former lover Joan Baez
(as "The Woman in White"), and his future companion, Ruth Tyrangiel (as a woman propositioned by Ronnie, playing Bob). Dylan hired Allen Ginsberg
and Sam Shepard
to create scenes for the film; how many of their contributions survive can only be guessed at, but the writing credit in any event belongs to Dylan.
Most of the performers are musicians or members of Dylan's inner circle; it could be argued that the only "professional" actors in the cast are Sam Shepard, Harry Dean Stanton
, Helena Kallianiotes
and singer/actress Ronee Blakley
, all of whom are pretty much playing themselves here (although Ronee is in fact credited with the role of "Mrs. Dylan", much as Ronnie Hawkins is billed as "Bob").
The famous French film Les Enfants du Paradis had a heavy influence on the style, structure and thematic elements of Renaldo and Clara. There are many similarities between these two films. They include Dylan in whiteface, the recurring flower, "The Woman in White", the on-stage and backstage scenes, and the dialogue of both films' climactic scenes. Also evident is the Cubist approach of the two films, allowing us to see the main characters from the different perspectives of various lovers. Running time is also relatively similar.
Many of the artists performing with the Rolling Thunder Revue
are featured in the movie, which also includes clips of concert performances and footage of Rubin Carter
, the subject of Dylan's song "Hurricane
". The film also contains the last known footage of Phil Ochs
, playing at a club in October, 1975; he committed suicide six months later. (Renaldo and Clara also features a very charismatic appearance from another ill-fated musician, David Blue, who gives some insight into the mid/late 1960s NYC folk music scene while playing an extended game of pinball
).
The movie was generally poorly reviewed, often scathingly received, and its initial theatrical run was short. After opening in New York City
and Los Angeles
, the only other cities where the original form ran were reportedly Minneapolis, Boston, Kansas City, Stillwater, OK, Pittsfield, Maine (a sold-out one week run), and Vancouver, Canada.
Later in 1978, Dylan allowed a two-hour edit of the film to be distributed. The shortened version focused more on the concert footage and omitted many of the dramatic scenes. It had a longer, low-profile run in wider distribution, but was not seen as commercially successful.
After a small number of showings (perhaps only a single airing) of the original version on European television, Dylan withdrew the film from distribution. Copies, made from recordings of the television broadcast, circulate among collectors, but the only parts of the movie to be released for consumers are the excerpts found on the "bonus" DVD accompanying the initial release of Dylan's The Bootleg Series Vol. 5: Bob Dylan Live 1975, The Rolling Thunder Revue
. Footage from the film also appeared in the music video of Dylan's 1991 song "Series of Dreams
".
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
movie, directed by and starring Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
. Filmed in 1975, during Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue
Rolling Thunder Revue
The Rolling Thunder Revue was a famed U.S. concert tour consisting of a traveling caravan of musicians, headed by Bob Dylan, that took place in late 1975 and early 1976; the prevailing theory was that the tour was named after the Native American shaman Rolling Thunder. Others maintained that tour...
tour, it was released in 1978. In its original form, it is nearly four hours long.
The movie was written by Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
and stars him as Renaldo, and his then-wife Sara Dylan
Sara Dylan
Sara Dylan , born Shirley Marlin Noznisky and later known as Sara Lownds, was the first wife of singer-songwriter Bob Dylan and mother of singer Jakob Dylan. She was married to Bob Dylan from November 1965 until June 1977.-Early life:Little is known about Sara Dylan's early life or family...
as Clara, with longtime pal Ronnie Hawkins
Ronnie Hawkins
Ronald "Ronnie" Hawkins is a Juno Award-winning rockabilly musician whose career has spanned more than half a century. Though his career began in Arkansas, USA, where he'd been born and raised, it was in Ontario, Canada where he found success and settled for most of his life...
playing the role of 'Bob Dylan' (although basically appearing as himself). Renaldo and Clara also features appearances from both Bob's former lover Joan Baez
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
(as "The Woman in White"), and his future companion, Ruth Tyrangiel (as a woman propositioned by Ronnie, playing Bob). Dylan hired Allen Ginsberg
Allen Ginsberg
Irwin Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. He vigorously opposed militarism, materialism and sexual repression...
and Sam Shepard
Sam Shepard
Sam Shepard is an American playwright, actor, and television and film director. He is the author of several books of short stories, essays, and memoirs, and received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1979 for his play Buried Child...
to create scenes for the film; how many of their contributions survive can only be guessed at, but the writing credit in any event belongs to Dylan.
Most of the performers are musicians or members of Dylan's inner circle; it could be argued that the only "professional" actors in the cast are Sam Shepard, Harry Dean Stanton
Harry Dean Stanton
Harry Dean Stanton is an American actor, musician, and singer. Stanton's career has spanned over fifty years, which has seen him star in such films as Paris, Texas, Kelly's Heroes, Dillinger, Alien, Repo Man, The Last Temptation of Christ, Wild at Heart, The Green Mile and The Pledge...
, Helena Kallianiotes
Helena Kallianiotes
Helena Kallianiotes is an American film actress. In 1973 was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture for her role as Jackie Burdette in Kansas City Bomber.-Career overview:...
and singer/actress Ronee Blakley
Ronee Blakley
Ronee Blakley is an American entertainer. Though an accomplished singer, songwriter, composer, producer and director, she is perhaps best known as an actress...
, all of whom are pretty much playing themselves here (although Ronee is in fact credited with the role of "Mrs. Dylan", much as Ronnie Hawkins is billed as "Bob").
The famous French film Les Enfants du Paradis had a heavy influence on the style, structure and thematic elements of Renaldo and Clara. There are many similarities between these two films. They include Dylan in whiteface, the recurring flower, "The Woman in White", the on-stage and backstage scenes, and the dialogue of both films' climactic scenes. Also evident is the Cubist approach of the two films, allowing us to see the main characters from the different perspectives of various lovers. Running time is also relatively similar.
Many of the artists performing with the Rolling Thunder Revue
Rolling Thunder Revue
The Rolling Thunder Revue was a famed U.S. concert tour consisting of a traveling caravan of musicians, headed by Bob Dylan, that took place in late 1975 and early 1976; the prevailing theory was that the tour was named after the Native American shaman Rolling Thunder. Others maintained that tour...
are featured in the movie, which also includes clips of concert performances and footage of Rubin Carter
Rubin Carter
Rubin "Hurricane" Carter fought professionally as a middleweight boxer from 1961 to 1966. In 1966, he was arrested for a triple homicide in the Lafayette Bar and Grill in Paterson, New Jersey...
, the subject of Dylan's song "Hurricane
Hurricane (song)
"Hurricane" is a protest song by Bob Dylan co-written with Jacques Levy, about the imprisonment of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter. It compiles alleged acts of racism and profiling against Carter, which Dylan describes as leading to a false trial and conviction....
". The film also contains the last known footage of Phil Ochs
Phil Ochs
Philip David Ochs was an American protest singer and songwriter who was known for his sharp wit, sardonic humor, earnest humanism, political activism, insightful and alliterative lyrics, and haunting voice...
, playing at a club in October, 1975; he committed suicide six months later. (Renaldo and Clara also features a very charismatic appearance from another ill-fated musician, David Blue, who gives some insight into the mid/late 1960s NYC folk music scene while playing an extended game of pinball
Pinball
Pinball is a type of arcade game, usually coin-operated, where a player attempts to score points by manipulating one or more metal balls on a playfield inside a glass-covered case called a pinball machine. The primary objective of the game is to score as many points as possible...
).
The movie was generally poorly reviewed, often scathingly received, and its initial theatrical run was short. After opening in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, the only other cities where the original form ran were reportedly Minneapolis, Boston, Kansas City, Stillwater, OK, Pittsfield, Maine (a sold-out one week run), and Vancouver, Canada.
Later in 1978, Dylan allowed a two-hour edit of the film to be distributed. The shortened version focused more on the concert footage and omitted many of the dramatic scenes. It had a longer, low-profile run in wider distribution, but was not seen as commercially successful.
After a small number of showings (perhaps only a single airing) of the original version on European television, Dylan withdrew the film from distribution. Copies, made from recordings of the television broadcast, circulate among collectors, but the only parts of the movie to be released for consumers are the excerpts found on the "bonus" DVD accompanying the initial release of Dylan's The Bootleg Series Vol. 5: Bob Dylan Live 1975, The Rolling Thunder Revue
The Bootleg Series Vol. 5: Bob Dylan Live 1975, The Rolling Thunder Revue
The Bootleg Series Vol. 5: Bob Dylan Live 1975, The Rolling Thunder Revue is a live album by Bob Dylan released by Columbia Records in 2002. It documents the Rolling Thunder Revue, led by Bob Dylan prior to the release of the album Desire...
. Footage from the film also appeared in the music video of Dylan's 1991 song "Series of Dreams
Series of Dreams
"Series Of Dreams" is a song written and composed by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Originally recorded for his 26th album Oh Mercy and produced by Daniel Lanois, this song was never used in the album but was later remixed and included in Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3 and Bootleg Series Volume 8...
".