Inside Bob Dylan’s Jesus Years: Busy Being Born…Again! DVD Review

Inside Bob Dylan's Jesus Years is an in depth look at the evangelical Dylan era. There are many who probably never knew that Dylan went through this stage in his life which means that there are many who wouldn't have any reason to watch this film. Even those who like Dylan probably wouldn't find enough justification in a whole film being devoted to this topic. Yet, there are plenty of hardcore Dylan fans who strive to hear and watch everything related to this American poet. This DVD is targeted specifically to them. All in all, the DVD does a great job of explaining this odd period in Dylan's long career, but there are too many things bogging it down from being a film which effectively delivers its point in a smart and concise manner.

The minute the title screen pops up, one thing is clear, this is a film made with a tight budget. While that is certainly an obstacle for the creator, Joel Gilbert, it is in no way a kiss of death. The problem with the tight budget is the editing is extremely poor and at times feels like little kids experimenting with a new toy. The cut screens are typically silly and the interviews fly from one small box on the screen to another. This itself isn't the true problem of the film, but it gives it a feeling of unprofessionalism.

The real problem with this film lies in the inability to bring all the facts together into a simple and concise point. My Senior Seminar professor always reiterated the fact that a twenty-five page paper should originally be around thirty-five or so pages long, but then begins the process of trimming off all the excess fat. The directors of this film unfortunately didn't attend the same class I did, and we are left with a bunch of facts that don't relate to the main topic and leaves us with an abundance of pointless ramblings. We hear interviews from backup singers, church pastors and even late great record producer Jerry Wexler, but through all of this, the theme of the film seems to get lost. The statements made by each were interesting at times, but it always felt disconnected.

Dylan's evangelical period was an extremely odd time for the singer/songwriter, and if done correctly could have correlated into a solid film, but it ended up like a scene from Congress where more and more pork is being added to legislation and by the end of the day, the bill ends up looking nothing like its former self. The film could have stood on its own even with the poor editing, but the excess of unimportant information kept it from being something which could hold a viewers attention.

Grade: D+