Enthralling On Stage and Off Stage Romantic and Musical Story

Rating: 10/10 (23 November 2005)

"Walk the Line" is enthralling from the opening scene as it makes clear this is a bio pic equally of sound and sight.
We are aware of a strong rhythm as we're told a signature date and and place in musical history -- Folsom Prison 1968 -- and only leisurely is the source of that gradually increasing rumbling beat identified. Just as we are anticipating a standard performance recreation, the gray of prison shifts suddenly to a flashback of the wide open spaces of childhood memories that are not as sunny as the sky.
Director James Mangold in obviously close partnership with musical supervisor T. Bone Burnett ties the intertwined, riveting stories of Johnny Cash and June Carter very much to their roots in Americana music at mid-20th century, capturing the interplay of music, period life on the road and feelings. The tense dramatic scenes are silent on the soundtrack, completely enthralling the audience, so that the music emphasis is on music-related scenes.
The detail on music authenticity is marvelous, both in the background selections, like Wanda Jackson, and the foreground re-enactments, as Burnett has done so well from "O Brother Where Art Thou?" to "Cold Mountain," but the film doesn't patronize to explain the historical significance to un-musically knowledgeable audience members as it's more personal here. So it's just background mise en scene that we see Johnny the child drawn to listen to the Carter family on the Grand Ole Opry radio show, as we hear June the child introduced, when his family finds even those icons of traditionalism too far astray from gospel music.
Later we see him take in the black and white sounds and rhythms of post-war Memphis, drawing him to legendary Sun Studios. Though Dallas Roberts' portrayal of Sam Phillips seems a bit too bland, at least compared to how charismatic the legendary producer seemed in later interviews (let alone Rip Torn doing a similar character in "40 Shades of Blue"), we are gradually brought into the ferment of the rockabilly nexus that revolutionized popular music -- Jerry Lee Lewis (engagingly captured by Waylon Payne, from that signature tinkling of the 88s to the "killer" personality); young Elvis (Tyler Hilton doing one of the mildest of the interpretations on film); and Roy Orbison (Johnathan Rice capturing his look but not quite his sound, as unfortunately Chris Isaak is probably too old now to portray the young Roy).
June is a critical musical link for them all from country to rock 'n' roll and the burgeoning folk scene. Her important linkage from the traditional Carter family to rock to Dylan is beautifully, albeit quite briefly, encapsulated through a wonderful segue of Reese Witherspoon herself with an auto-harp singing "Wildwood Flower" as "My mama's favorite song" into a duet with Joaquin Phoenix singing as Cash on Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe," with its lyrics particularly ironic for the duo. These connections become even more personally significant as Mother Maybelle is shown as a key forgiving and steadfast rock in both their lives. Details such as Cash's move from Sun to Columbia are just indicated visually in passing, while fans will finally now get straight how their children Carlene Carter and Roseanne Cash are step-sisters, as the guilt over their family responsibilities are a major plot point.
The love story on stage is as dramatic as its off stage progression, even though we know how it'll eventually end, especially when June tries to limit their interactions to when they click musically. Witherspoon is breathtaking at capturing the complexity of June's life-- the comedy, that we of course know the actress is a smooth pro at, as June explains how she developed the comic persona in the family business to insecurely stand out compared to the musical talent she was surrounded by, as well as the tightly wound, uber polite professionalism of someone who's been on the road since childhood such that she can more than hold her own on tour with these raunchy, macho guys like traveling salesmen. But the depths of June's hurts from fans and family pressures that Witherspoon portrays, the sensuality of the romance and close friendship, and especially the magic she creates on stage with Joaquin Phoenix in the many combustible on-stage performances are new revelations to us of her talent.
All this would be of illustrative interest to music fans if it weren't for Phoenix's intense performance. We see the influences come together that make up his guilt and rebellion that he incorporated into his songs. But the camera seems to restlessly move when it's not focused on him, as he powerfully draws the audience in from the first shot of him back stage at the prison. He is not just physically being another person -- not just living in Cash's skin in a dead-on capturing of body language and even an extremely close approximation of that voice-- but this is as much a psychological portrait as well. It's spooky this year with Philip Seymour Hoffman channeling "Capote" and David Straithairn doing Edward Murrow in "Good Night, and Good Luck," but Phoenix goes beyond those recreations to an intensity of capturing the subject's inner life. He'll surely earn the Best Actor for the Golden Globes comedy/musical category.
The camera work and cinematography are beautiful. While the many southern locations are used very atmospherically, each scene has a different cast of sharpness and color, from period brown to the grays of prison to the green of peace.
Shooter Jennings too briefly captures his dad Waylon completely. Shelby Lynne is marvelous as momma Cash singing gospel in the cotton fields. Robert Patrick is a bit stiffly one-note as Cash's father.
The packed opening weekend matinée audience with a multi-ethnic and multi-racial audience of all ages of adults as the kids and teens were at the new Harry Potter, was intently involved and cheered at the end.