Walk the Line
As ashamed as I am to say it, I only just recently had the immense pleasure of watching the Johnny Cash bio-pic, Walk the Line. As I’ve said in the past, trips to the movie theater are a rarity, so I had to wait for the DVD release. I watched it last Thursday, and I’ve got to say that it’s easily found its way into my personal Top 10.
I should tell you that, aside from hearing his work in a number of movie soundtracks, I hadn’t really sat down with the Johnny Cash library. However, when I had heard the movie was coming out, I felt I should begin to become acquainted with Johnny Cash. I felt the easiest, most sensible way to do so was to queue up every single album of his that was on MusicMatch, and flood my brain with the stuff. I had been skeptical at first, as I have a very keen aversion for country music.
What I found was a very unpretentious musician whose bare-bones guitar melodies echoed the simple truth of the lyrics that accompanied them. I found an exceptional story teller, capable of capturing the spirit of the human condition and relating it in such a way that any audience could understand and grasp the righteousness of it. I was also astounded by the man’s ability to infuse his music with a very candid religious message, but never have it come across as overbearing or preachy.
These were the impressions that I took into my viewing of Walk the Line. What I found in the film firmly echoed these conceits, portraying a man of humility, as vulnerable to sin and emotional weakness as the rest of us. This wasn’t some dressed up, artistic interpretation of Cash’s life, but as honest and stark in its message as his music.
The film’s success is thanks to a number of things. The screenwriting is fantastic, moving the storyline at a decent clip. For a biographical picture, I have to say that I’ve never felt so fully invested on every level in not only the main character, but in every individual cast member. Emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually, I was genuinely engaged by the film.
Bringing the exceptional screenplay to fruition is a truly talented cast of players. To begin, Jaoquin Phoenix’s depiction of Johnny Cash is unsurpassed in its faithful and authentic representation of the Man in Black. Considering that Phoenix had no musical experience prior to taking on the role, it’s amazing how accurate his renditions of Cash’s music and performance are. Even Reese Witherspoon, whom I’m not terribly fond of, managed to thoroughly impress me with her portrayal of June Carter. In fact, her performance in Walk the Line honestly has me reconsidering my appraisal of her skills as an actress.
Final Thoughts
Walk the Line is, honestly, one of the best movies I’ve seen in quite some time. Its portrayal of Johnny Cash is at times brutally honest, painting a picture of a man who is as imperfect as the rest of us, and as much of a sinner as the characters in much of his music. But it is in Cash’s own personal journey for redemption that we find that even the firmest believers can falter, and that real character lies in our ability to pick ourselves up and continue on the path to enlightenment.
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