Bohemian Rhapsody

By Linda Winsh-Bolard


Promoted as story of Queen, it is more a simplified bio of Freddie Mercury, lead singer for Queen, 1970-1986, than even partial history of the rock band.

The original band, called Smile, was formed by college students, Brian May (guitar), Tim Staffell(bassist and vocals) and Roger Taylor(drums). Freddie Mercury, who followed the band for years, was invited to join after Staffel left. In 1971 bass player John Deacon joined the band, re-named Queen. The film sketches all this within the opening sequence, proceeding at speed to first recording and success of the band. At high speed, Freddie meets Mary, proposes to her and finds out he is bi-sexual.

I doubt, it was as easy as that. Where is the effort, doubts, failures? Freddie and Mary met in 1969, in 1976 he told her that he was bisexual and she replied; “No Freddie, I don’t think you are bisexual. I think you are gay’. We never learn who Mary, or the band members really are, nor what it took to make it in those first years. The only person with some life outside Mercury’s orbit is Paul.

Once it is established that Freddie has homosexual tendencies, and the band is winning the charts, the film concentrates on two things: footage of the concerts and Freddie’s erratic behavior.

Freddie Mercury, born Farrokh Bulsara, was a complicated person. Hampered by origins, lack of money and race, he made his own legend and lived great part of it. Mercury graduated from art college, where he met his future band members, college education was free back then, played multiple instruments, had remarkable voice range, designed Queen’s logo. His sexuality was rampant. He loved to show off. Leaving half of his fortune to the love of his life, Mary, he left the other half to his family and provided for all his friends.Some of his life shows in the uneven picture, but not with any depth.

Occasional bits of life; say decisions of what to record, who gets the credits and money, seep in rarely and never in any context. Audiences never notice that Queen went from hard rock and metal to easy rock/ pop band. Why? Maybe because the director was changed.
In one scene, journalists obsess about Freddie’s sexuality and appearance, rather than the album that is being presented, giving him chance to respond to: “Why don’t you fix your teeth?”” I’m from London, I don’t want to stand out”, but the film explores nothing more. How Mary deals with life, what is going on with the other members of Queen, remains skeletal. Despite Freddie’s declaration that he is not the lead of the band, just the lead singer, the film makes him the lead- and the hero.

Queen suffers from the same hero complex as The Doors did. Where The Doors presented Jim Morrison as the flaming icon of the time, Queen uses Freddie Mercury.

Life is never that simple. Consider that the 70s produced songs like Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin, 1971) and Another Brick in the Wall (Pink Floyds, 1979) a world of difference from We Are the Champions. Mid-eighties moved onto Midnight Oil and Laurie Anderson; vision of future becomes very uneasy. In the movie, the world is as static as Freddie’s character.

Rami Malek, hampered by masking substituting for the extra four incisors that Mercury was born with, delivers believable, alive Freddie Mercury of the moment. The moment being the scripted, often cardboard dialog of a singularly stationary character. The film’s Mercury has no self doubts, suffers few changes or setbacks, and appears not involved with the world. Malek manages to be radiant during the concert scenes, these are the best part of the movie, delighted to entertain, able to deliver lines that make you cringe. It takes a lot of talent to do this.

Malek is surrounded by capable array of actors. Lucy Boynton for Mary, Ben Hardy (Roger Taylor), Joseph Mazzello (John Deacon) Gwilym Lee (Brian May), Allen Leech( Paul Prenter), Aidan Gillen(John Reid) and others. He is helped by sometimes spectacular camera work, good, speedy editing, extravagant set dressing; yet the film remains shallow bio-pic, where it could be much more.

The one true moment comes, very likely unwittingly, during Queen’s performance at Live Aid concert, at the Wembley Stadium in 1985.

That concert was the last breath of a dying era; an era when people believed their dreams were achievable, when Western governments worked with and for the people. At Live Aid bands made of people who would never be able to get known today, donated their earnings to help people they will never know. Audience and performers, for the last time, presented a unity of human suffering, hope and achievement. It is glorious, sad moment.

Which director decided to open and close the film with the Live Aid footage, I don’t know. Bryan Singer, who is credited as the director, was fired from the production and replaced by Dexter Fletcher. Live Aid is the most touching moment of the film. Passing sadness for times long gone.

By 1985 Reagan and Thatcher are already changing things in the West, KGB is negotiating their way into breaking Soviet Union, and stealing natural resources, infrastructure and wealth. From then on, the “alpha male takes all” will rule.