Springsteen Biopic Delves into The Boss’ Struggles On the Brink of His Glory Days
By Finnian Cox
Is it possible to heal through a creative process?
This is the question asked and intentionally left unanswered by Scott Cooper’s Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere.
Jeremy Allen White, best known now as the furrowed-brow of Carmy Berzzatto in FX’s The Bear, plays a 32-year-old Bruce Springsteen at a particularly emotionally turbulent part of his life.
The film follows the writing of 1981’s Nebraska, as well as some of the hits from Born in the USA, which were largely formed while he stayed in a remote house just outside his New Jersy hometown
Allen-White portrays Springsteen as a pensive, outwardly calm person,- but his ability to show the cracks and weight of trauma as Springsteen delves into his past is the main takeaway from his performance.
Then there’s the singing- naturally, it’s quite a big part of the film, but interestingly not as much as the other biopics that Hollywood has churned out over the years (Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman, Elvis). We only see a handful of live performances.
However, when given the chance, White’s ability to recreate Springsteen’s voice is impressive, aided by his mimicking of The Boss’ onstage body language- sweating and straining out the lyrics until he seems close to collapse.
This is just one of the ways the film differs from what is becoming the biopic formula- the plot doesn’t follow the hero’s journey of discovery, debut, drugs and then downfall- it’s an examination of a comparatively short part of his life, something which allows the viewer to really stew in the struggle.
Keeping with this theme of difference is Jeremy Strong’s portrayal of manager Jon Landau, which for me was the highlight of the film. He plays a softly spoken, logical businessman, but not at the expense of the character’s humanity- at all points his love for Springsteen, and genuine concern for him is apparent.
This was a refreshing change, to see that there were non-sociopathic or manipulative managers out there, again contrasting with other films in the genre.
Though he’s far from philosophical, he really summarises an overarching theme of the film in a conversation with Bruce at the beginning of the film- telling him to “just crack the door when you’re ready.”
The film is filled with silence- something that contrasts with what you’d expect from a biopic about one of the world’s most famous rockers. Instead, we see a contemplative, reflective Springsteen wandering around his bedroom muttering what will become iconic lyrics.
A pot set to boil over, we see how as he works through the bones of the songs, he’s also confronting the turmoil of his childhood and his fragile state through the music.
As he pokes and prods into his past, the film cuts to stylised black and white shots where we see the trials of the young Springsteen’s childhood, with Stephen Graham portraying a formidable alcoholic of a father figure.
The film very much takes place in little America- the key conversations happen in diners, or outside dingy bars, surrounded by the ordinary working-class people Springsteen’s music has always championed.
We see Springsteen slowly realising that he must leave this world, his awareness of the superstardom to come shown through visible guilt at having to abandon his roots, at least in the physical sense.
The film does have a few stumbles- certain parts seem to have too much time dedicated to them, when other scenes that feel they should be longer have a rushed sense to them.
Odessa Young plays Faye, Springsteen’s love interest to charming effect, however she is emblematic of the film’s second flaw- the film is very male-dominated.
Young is great in some of the film’s more emotional scenes- however she’s not a very fleshed out character (which seems wrong to say considering its biographical). We only really see her as what she is to Springsteen, not as her own person.
The film is raw but not depressing. It’s filled with hope, as we see someone teetering on the edge being reeled in by support just as they are about to fall.
Allen-White delivers a touching performance of someone trying not to be defined by their past, by confronting it with brutal honesty, and most importantly empathy.
4/5 stars.
This article was a collaboration with IMC Galway.
