
“A Complete Unknown,” a biopic starring Timothee Chalamet as Bob Dylan, hit theaters on Dec. 25. This movie is one of many biopics that has come out in recent years which highlights the increase in this genre’s popularity. Earlier this year, “Back to Black,” a biopic released about the life of the late singer Amy Winehouse, sparked some controversy online about accuracy within the film and biopics as a genre.
According to the New York Film Academy, a biopic “refers to a film that dramatizes the life of a real person.” These movies capture the achievements, challenges and personal aspects of famous people’s lives, including musicians, artists, athletes and political figures.
Inaccuracy in films
According to a Rolling Stone article that fact-checked “Back to Black,” the film had many inaccuracies and cut out significant aspects of Winehouse’s life. This article stated that the movie focused heavily on the relationship between Winehouse and her husband Blake Fielder-Civil, forcing other parts of her life and career to be “cut down to the bone.” There were several inaccuracies in the film pointed out by Rolling Stone, including how Winehouse’s grandmother was not responsible for introducing her to her “beehive hairstyle,” and Fielder-Civil did not introduce her to the band Shangri-Las as portrayed in the film.
Although some of these decisions when writing and creating this biopic may have been intentional, when portraying someone’s life to a large film audience, it is important to focus on accuracy over entertainment. It may be less important to note who introduced someone to one band or another like in “Back to Black,” but allowing smaller inaccuracies to go unnoticed can create further issues with the false portrayal of real people in future biopics.
Given the tragic nature of Winehouse’s life, when portraying difficult stories like hers, it is important to focus on creating an accurate film. While “Back to Black” does have some focus on her career and artistry, it also carries the weight of Winehouse’s struggles, particularly with addiction and mental health. Without care for the proper representation of issues like these, it could dramatize or oversimplify Winehouse’s struggles. Additionally, with Winehouse’s tragic death in 2011, her story should be portrayed correctly to respect her legacy and the complexity of her life.
The issues in the inaccuracy of “Back to Black” apply to all biopics, past, present and future. Biopics are created about real people and should display the true events of their lives, even if aspects of their story may not be the most entertaining or easy subjects to cover.
Implementing new stories
Another issue within the rise of biopics is the retelling of old stories. In 2013, “Jobs,” starring Ashton Kutcher, was released, portraying the life of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. In 2015, “Steve Jobs,” starring Michael Fassbender, was released, also exploring Jobs’ life. Although the films differ in actors, producers and specific events focused on within Jobs’ life, it is still important to tell other stories and not focus on the same person, especially in such short succession.
More recently, in 2022, “Elvis” was released, portraying the life of Elvis Presley. Despite many documentaries and biopics produced about Presley in the 1970s and 1980s, his story was still chosen over other interesting stories. In 2023, however, the biopic “Priscilla,” was released, focusing less on Presley and more on his wife, Priscilla Presley. The film was based on Priscilla’s memoir and provided a new view of their complex relationship.
If similar stories about the same few musicians, celebrities and other famous people are continually recreated, the genre of biopics may become less interesting and more repetitive. By focusing on new stories, biopics can engage the audience more and give film studios and producers more creative direction in portraying untold stories. Additionally, films like “Priscilla” that allow for unique perspectives of previously told stories can create further interest in the genre as people engage with different angles of the story.
While biopics provide an interesting way to bring real-life stories to the big screen, studios and producers working within the genre must prioritize accuracy and diversity within their stories. This commitment to truth and variety offers audiences a deeper understanding of the people and lives that have left a lasting impact on different industries and society.
The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Mady Kiser at mkiser@hilite.org.