A Review of the “Queen” Biopic
Warning: light spoilers of Bohemian Rhapsody below.
I have always been skeptical of biopic films. The reason is that there is a lot of biographical content out there that has skewed, glorified, or glamorized its subject. For example, while I loved The Danish Girl (2015), it didn’t take much research to find out that it was a heavily romanticized adaptation of its real life subject matter. Films like The Danish Girl cannot be relied on as historically accurate, but merely loose renderings. I have learned through watching various biographical films that one must always view them with a grain of salt, and not take everything for face value. So when I heard about the film Bohemian Rhapsody (2018), a biopic of the legendary band Queen – with an inherent focus on lead singer Freddie Mercury – I was just as skeptical.
Don’t get me wrong; some of my favourite films have been ones based on real people and events. Hidden Figures (2016), The King’s Speech (2010), Catch Me If You Can (2002), and Frida (2002) are just a few in a long list of favourites. Real history often makes the most intriguing content. However, there is a caveat. If the content is not portrayed accurately, or is changed to the point of being unrecognizable, it can be a major disappointment. Upon news of Bohemian Rhapsody, I could only think one thing: the late Freddie Mercury is, was, and will continue to be one of the most iconic legends of all time. His and Queen’s legacy is massive, which means the stakes were extremely high on this film to be accurate, respectful to Freddie’s memory, and just straight up epic.
Upon its release, I heard many mixed reviews. I put off watching it because I didn’t want to be disappointed. I didn’t want my perception of the band I hold so dear to my heart to be negatively coloured. Though I was born after Freddie Mercury’s death, Queen’s music was still extremely prevalent all throughout my childhood. I grew up listening to all their hit songs, sometimes without even realizing it, because Queen was everywhere. I didn’t even realize that Queen wrote “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” until recently. Of course, songs like “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “We Will Rock You”, and “We Are the Champions” are ones that people will innately recognize as Queen. “Another One Bites the Dust”, “Don’t Stop Me Now”, “I Want to Break Free”, “I Want it All”, and “Under Pressure” are also classics, but these are just a few top hits in the extensive discography of Queen. Mercury, and all the members of Queen – Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon – were geniuses. They were musical chameleons, mixing genres and styles in such a unique way that their sound can never be recreated, only imitated. They changed the music genre as we know it, and this is a fact appropriately emphasized in the film.
A few days ago, I finally watched the film. First, let me just say that I’m immensely happy that Rami Malek (best known for his lead role in the TV series Mr. Robot) was chosen for the role of Freddie Mercury. Many people don’t know that Freddie was born Farrokh Bulsara, an Indian-British Parsi whose family lived in Zanzibar for many years before moving to the UK. He could have passed as Caucasian, but I’m thankful that Hollywood didn’t go down its usual whitewashing route and actually chose a PoC actor (Malek is Egyptian). The second thing I’m happy about is that surviving Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor worked as musical and creative consultants on the film. As well, Queen’s manager Jim Beach was one of the film’s producers. Since these primary sources were heavily involved with the movie’s creation, this helped put my skepticism to rest. I knew that even if there were some historical inaccuracies or conflations, it would be done tastefully and respectfully. Because really, who better to have on the team making a film about Queen than Queen?
While I largely enjoyed the movie, reviews have certainly not been forgiving. With a mediocre 61% on Rotten Tomatoes, I can understand why some found the film to be lacking. Some expected more drama: some expected more grit. Some critics noted that the film didn’t go nearly enough in depth into Freddie Mercury and the other band members’ lives, but was merely a collage of Queen’s greatest hits. Some note that it was too conventional in plotline. Some said it was played too safe. Some note that it was a disappointment to Freddie Mercury’s legend, the film too rushed and disjointed (this can perhaps be owed to the contentious production background that the film experienced over the last decade).
Freddie Mercury’s death was not portrayed onscreen, which I think was a smart decision – though, some viewers thought it disrespectful not to show the tougher years, chronicling Freddie’s illness. Many know that Mercury died from AIDS-related illness in 1991, and that his sexuality and illness were a relentless focus of tabloids. However, it’s important to remember not to reduce Mercury down to his illness: that he was so much more. In the film itself, Mercury says to his band mates, “I don’t want to be seen as the poster boy [for HIV/AIDs]”. Whether or not he said that in real life, I imagine that this was a large part of the reason why he didn’t officially announce his positive status until just a few days before his death. And while Freddie Mercury will always be an important figure and activist in the queer and HIV+ community, I can understand why he may not have wanted his status to eclipse his musical achievements. I think the film was smart in avoiding that immensely private part of Freddie’s life. Instead, they honoured him by ending the movie with Queen’s enormously famous Live Aid performance in 1985.
My only main critique of the film is linked to the way Freddie’s sexuality and subsequent diagnosis of HIV/AIDS was depicted. In the movie, there is a montage sequence chronicling the various gay clubs he went to with his snake-like personal manager, Paul Prenter. Almost immediately afterwards, Freddie exhibits sign of illness, followed by an official diagnosis. The link was too deliberate for me, almost presented as a condemnation of his sexuality – which is how many people viewed homosexuality during the AIDS epidemic at the time. In reality, Freddie’s sexuality and his diagnosis didn’t have to be depicted as mutually exclusive. Though I don’t think the film intended to mean harm by this, I can’t help but think the not-so-subtle chronology of the sequence was distasteful. As well, this depiction does nothing to diminish the stigma that is still presently associated with HIV/AIDS. Instead, it feeds into the dangerous and cruel mentality that those who contract the virus must be condemned for their actions. So my one caveat is this: don’t go into this film thinking that this is a cautionary tale. Don’t reduce Freddie Mercury, or anyone, down to this line of thinking. I will say, however that the addition of Jim Hutton, who became Freddie Mercury’s partner later in his life, into the film did somewhat save my perception of the way homosexuality was portrayed in Bohemian Rhapsody.
All in all, I think it’s quite natural for critiques on the film to be made. As I noted before, it’s a large undertaking to summarize the immeasurable legacy of Freddie Mercury and Queen into a 2+ hour-long movie. It’s impossible to make everyone happy. However, I think it’s important to remember that the research into the history of Queen and Freddie Mercury doesn’t have to stop after watching Bohemian Rhapsody. Rather, the film is simply one point of reference. Look up videos on YouTube, read articles, watch documentaries, Google their history. Rami Malek states in his interview with Jimmy Fallon (below) that he’s excited to “share this film with a brand new generation”. I love that an entirely new generation, one that perhaps didn’t grow up listening to Queen songs or know the band’s history, will now rediscover them, keeping the legend alive more than ever.
A large part of why I love this movie is because it shows just how revolutionary Freddie Mercury was as a human, musician, and performer. He embodied sexual fluidity, he deviated from gender norms, and he unabashedly embraced his individuality. His vocal talents are unmatchable, his presence electric, his talent otherworldly. He is incomparable. And while Rami Malek did an excellent job in portraying Mercury, it is clear that Malek never tries to imitate, but represents. Malek got Mercury down to the gait, movements, mannerisms, accent, and presence. The makeup and costume team did a phenomenal job, and though Malek may not look exactly like Freddie, he embodies his spirit. In fact, every main character was cast uncannily well (Gwilym Lee, who plays Brian May, is essentially his doppelganger).
Critiques aside, I am ecstatic that this film is nominated for the Best Picture in this year’s Oscar’s. I think this is the perfect era to have had a biopic done about such a revolutionary group of people. This film is heartbreaking, yet uplifting. It showcases the highs and lows of rock and roll, the aching loneliness that Freddie endures as he navigates fame, his sexuality, friendships, and relationships. It touches on the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the lack of understanding of what it was in the 80s/90s. It touches on the stigma associated not only with homosexuality, but bisexuality and gender fluidity too. It centers on family, on creativity, on inspiration. Through its tragic elements there is hope, and through its gravity there is humour. Overall, I truly believe it was a well-balanced film that reignited my love for this classic band, and that reminded me of what a true icon Freddie Mercury was.
At the heart of it, this film is an underdog story. Beyond the story of Queen as a whole, it is the tale Farrokh Bulsara, a man who experienced the cruel brunt of racism, bullying, and doubt throughout his life. Nevertheless, he refused to be anything but his true self. Vibrant, inimitable, exceptional. A force of nature; a genius. He emerged as Freddie Mercury, an outsider who rose to the top, because that was what he was born to do – he was born to be a star. Rami Malek did Freddie Mercury so much justice, and I have a distinct feeling that Freddie would think the same.
“You can do what you want with my music – but don’t make me boring.” – Freddie Mercury
~ Z ~
