Inside Llewyn Davis
Manage episode 455766907 series 2865075
Authenticity is the factor that lets an artist connect with an audience. All the great performers have (or had) it: the Clancy Brothers make listeners feel Irish, Bob Dylan brings them along into his lifelong grudge against the world, and Pete Seeger makes them feel like they know what it’s like to be on the losing end of things, even if they are listening to “Talking Union” in an upper-East-side penthouse on $700 headphones. The title character of Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) values authenticity above everything else, but still can’t connect with an audience. What’s it like to be a folk singer who can’t bring himself down to the folk, even when he’s as talented as Llewyn? Join us for a conversation about the Coens’ look at an artist whose refusal to compromise hides his voice from listeners who would love it if they could only hear it.
The film’s published screenplay includes the complete script, song lyrics, and an interview with executive music producer T. Bone Burnett.
Follow us on X and Letterboxd–and let us know what you’d like us to watch! Incredible bumper music is usually by John Deley; this week, it’s from the Inside Llewyn Davis soundtrack. Also check out Dan’s new Substack site, Pages and Frames, for an essay about this film and more writing about books and films.
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