‘A Complete Unknown’ 4K Ultra HD movie review

Director James Mangold (“Walk the Line”) explored the early life of musical legend Bob Dylan in a movie that earned multiple Academy Award nominations and now debuts in the ultra-high definition disc format in A Complete Unknown (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, rated R, 2.39:1 aspect ratio, 140 minutes, $35.99).

Mr. Mangold’s biographical drama — based on Elijah Wald’s 2015 book “Dylan Goes Electric!” — stars Timothée Chalamet as Robert Zimmerman aka Bob Dylan, as he presents a new style of folk music that’s socially and politically charged, while finding a younger and more intellectual audience.

The film covers the years of Mr. Dylan first meeting musical legends Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy) and Pete Seeger (Edward Norton) in 1961 in New Jersey and New York City and up through the 1965 Newport Folk Festival with his disastrous introduction of an electrified folk rock style.

Explorations of the chain-smoking “mysterious minstral,” as he’s called by his on-again and off-again girlfriend Sylvie Russo (Elle Fanning), cover his tempestuous relationship with Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro); his friendships with Johnny Cash (Boyd Holbrook) and Seeger; and association with manager Albert Grossman (Dan Fogler).

Of course, the songs are really the co-stars. Mr. Chalamet sings some great duets with Ms. Barbaro. The pair’s recreation of Mr. Dylan and Ms. Baez singing “It Ain’t Me, Babe” is a highlight of the movie.

Other hits covered include “Blowin’ in the Wind”; “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right”; “Girl from the North Country”; “The Times They Are a-Changin’ “; “Highway 61 Revisited”; “Like a Rolling Stone”; “Mr. Tambourine Man”; “Maggie’s Farm”; and “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue.”

Mr. Chalamet does a masterful job of creating a new version of Mr. Dylan, also playing the guitar and harmonica, and crafting a far more handsome as well as much more vocally pleasing performance of the man he mirrors.

Those not fans of Mr. Dylan or folk music will still find enjoyment in “A Complete Unknown,” which transcends the icon and musical genre by presenting an entertaining cultural snapshot of 1960s America and its turmoil through an emotional story of evolution.

4K in action: The ultra-high definition presentation culled from a digital master faithfully presents cinematographer Phedon Papamichael’s vision of an understated, grainy color palette that even used authentic stage lighting during concert scenes to capture the imagery.

The result is a movie looking much more reminiscent of film stock rather than Mr. Papamichael’s actual use of digital cameras.

Viewers will often feel awash in the time period, thanks to the faithful production design, while examining vintage costuming, location recreation and classic vehicles.

Moments that stand out include Mr. Dylan riding his motorcycle on a fall day in California, the slightly grimy hues of the Gaslight Club in New York City’s Greenwich Village, a dimly lit airliner filled with cigarette smoke and the baby blue stage design of an early Newport Folk Festival.

Best extras: A very much welcomed optional commentary track with the director, who also co-wrote and co-produced a film “not only about Bob,” explores many topics, including the recreation of Greenwich Village in 1961; the history of the time period; learning how to shoot the movie while shooting a movie; Mr. Dylan’s musical tastes; educating the audience about folk music; the process of creating art; and the importance of capturing live music onscreen.

A few of his surprising revelations include that, astoundingly, Ms. Barbaro never sang before and still managed to embrace the angelic vocal lines of Ms. Baez; the movie “Amadeus” was an inspiration for the storytelling by revealing Mr. Dylan through those around him; and most of the audiences for the concert scenes were created with special effect.

Next, a 24-minute promotional featurette covers the story; Mr. Chalamet performance as Mr. Dylan; the actor collaborations (Seeger, Guthrie, Baez, Sylvie, Cash); production design; and costuming (such as Mr. Dylan’s favorite jeans), with all of the key actors and crew commenting as well as plenty of time with the director.

An interesting focus is on production design, especially in the detail found in recreating a 1961 MacDougal Street in Greenwich Village (that took three years of research) and building Columbia Records’ famous recording Studio A, once found in New York City.