(Thoughts after watching Ray and Walk the Line on successive weekends)
Be born in the rural South.
Work as a sharecropper.
Have a brother who dies in a tragic childhood accident for which you were not at all responsible, but for which you will remain haunted by guilt for your entire life. (I would guess that this would be a typical response to childhood trauma).
Get married, but remain consistently unfaithful to your spouse.
Get addicted to drugs.
Express regret (via rehab) and your legend will be secure.
Despite their similar story arcs, I enjoyed both movies. I am more familiar with Charles' work, but each movie made me I want to listen to these two artists more. Cash is the more intriguing character, and I like the Christian themes in Walk the Line.
Jamie Foxx, Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon (!) were unbelieveably good in these films, but overall Walk The Line made for a better story.
NB: For a raw, painful video that Johnny and June Carter Cash made shortly before their deaths, watch the music video for the song Hurt. It is a remarkable work of art suffused with religious imagery.
2 comments:
Well, I was born in the rural south, but I've pretty much botched the rest of the plan so I guess I'll never become a famous musician :-(
A fact for which your brother is grateful. (ummm...and your wife)
Post a Comment