ABSTRACT
Bob Dylan became part of the American mainstream movie industry on three major occasions, in 1973, 1987 and 2003 with films Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, Hearts of Fire and Masked and Anonymous, respectively. He wrote the music, co-wrote the script and tried his hand as an actor. Dylan never failed to take the full artistic possession of the characters he played. They became Dylanesque in almost every aspect: in their looks, manner of expression and philosophy of life. While critics have been harsh on Dylan, accusing him of self-referentiality and lack of spark and freshness, it could not be denied that the camera fell in love with the performer. The cinematic medium has thoroughly captured his magnetic and intriguing presence. In addition, Dylan enriched the movies he appeared in with rich layers of cultural references. But what is the deeper connection between Dylan’s cinematographic portrayals and his stage personality? Using the musician’s emblematic iconography, this chapter tries to determine if Alias, Billy Parker and Jack Fate are straightforward Dylan’s cinematic templates, or if they have played a compelling, active role in shaping one of the biggest icons of our age.
