Beginnings of the Man in Black
Walk the Line Captures Cash
Johnny Cash is one of two men who has been inducted into both the Country and Rock & Roll Halls of Fame (Elvis Presley being the other). He won ten Grammys, including a lifetime achievement award. Most people, however, tend to believe his legend more than they remember his real life. In the new bio-pic Walk the Line, Joaquin Phoenix portrays Cash and does an amazing job as the Man in Black.
Written by: Gill Dennis & James Mangold
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Robert Patrick
Rated
(for
some language, thematic material and depiction of drug dependency)Running time: 136 min.
FilmGuru's Rating : 8 out of 10.
The film follows Cash's life, beginning with his boyhood in Arkansas (where he was known to his family as J.R.) and the tragic death of his brother Jack. His formative years pass in a blur, with only a slight mention of his time in the Air Force.
The focus of the film is on his early career and his long-suffering obsession with June Carter (Reese Witherspoon), the daughter of a Gospel-singing family. When he joins the Sun Records label, Cash gets to tour with the likes of Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis. It is on one of these tours that he first meets June, although he has followed her career since his youth. The two are both married, with children, and a budding friendship is as close as he can get to her.
It is also while on the road that Cash is introduced to amphetamines, which he uses to keep up with the show's hectic schedule. His subsequent addiction becomes a key factor in his career, leading to problems with June and his marriage to Vivian (Ginnifer Goodwin). After being arrested for smuggling amphetamines from Mexico, Cash undergoes a long recovery process with the help of June and her family.
Much of Cash's angst comes from his inability to live up to his father's expectations. When Jack -- the good child who had planned to be a preacher -- dies at the age of 12, Cash's father Ray (Robert Patrick) holds J.R. responsible. In Cash's eyes, nothing he can do, no amount of success, is enough to impress his father.
For fans of Cash's music, the film offers a number of tunes, from his audition for Sam Phillips where he sings "Folsom Prison Blues" for the first time to "Ring of Fire" (written by June). Phoenix and Witherspoon do their own vocals and carry the tunes well. Phoenix made a conscious effort to not attempt an imitation of Cash, but finds his own raw sound to convey the emotion of his character.
The film has a few pacing problems, but the performances by Phoenix and Witherspoon carry the film when it slows down. It ends on an odd note, though, with what appears to be a tacked-on family gathering. It shows some reconciliation between Cash and his father, but it does little else.
While not everyone may be interested in Cash's music, I think the story and performances give the film universal appeal. Cash's life of self-destruction and redemption is inspiring. Although the film glosses over some of his darker moments, it makes no attempt to paint him as a saint. If anything, it shows him as man vulnerable to temptation. It is only June's strength of will that allows him to survive.
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