Bohemian Rhapsody

He was a great singer with a voice that was as special as his personality. When Freddie Mercury died of AIDS in 1991, the music world lost one of the greats far too soon. Even though his band Queen didn't stop making music and going on tour, with Mercury's death a magic was lost that not even the great talent of Brian May and Roger Taylor can make up for. After all, through the songs of Queen, Freddie Mercury remains immortal. Although almost thirty years have passed since Mercury's death, it was still a gamble to make a biopic about him and his bandmates. After all, how could an actor possibly succeed in capturing what made the great artist so special.

director Bryan Singer took a chance anyway. The result is Bohemian Rhapsody, a film that is one thing above all: a tribute to music and what it means to fans. Some critics accuse the film of being soft-spoken and almost entirely excluding the darker side of Freddie Mercury's character, particularly his AIDS. On the one hand, this is only partly true, and on the other hand, you have to ask yourself: do you really want to see this? Singer has made a film that manages to do what Queen's music does when you listen to it: it's rousing, fun, touching and, after various emotions, primarily leaves you feeling genuinely happy at the end.

It really doesn't matter if the singer's homosexuality isn't traced down to the smallest detail or that parts of his troubled life are left out. And - I say this as a true fan - it also doesn't matter at all if everything that is shown here actually corresponds to reality. The film, which was completed by Eddie the Eagle director Dexter Fletcher after a falling out between Singer and the studio, doesn't set out to be a personality study that delves into the depths of someone as truly not easy as Freddie Mercury. He wants to celebrate with fans the music of a great band and an eccentric, talented and unforgettable artist. And it does that very, very well.

This is, of course, due in part to the award-winning performance of lead actor Remi Malek (Mr. Robot), who really goes all out - false teeth included - to capture the dazzling and multi-layered personality of Freddie Mercury. In some scenes, he succeeds almost perfectly. His performance somewhat overshadows that of his superbly cast co-stars, but they still manage to convincingly convey the rest of the band and their importance to the songs and to Freddie Mercury's life to the screen.

Although Bryan Singer caused a lot of trouble on set and reportedly had a major falling out with his leading man, he also deserves a fair amount of respect. For directing a nearly 15-minute sequence of the legendary LIVE AID performance at the end of the film. Here, dramaturgy no longer plays a role, but only the music and the performance of the actors. It is therefore a brave sequence, because it goes against the viewing habits of the audience. Perhaps that's why this scene works so well. Not having tears in your eyes when Rami Malek performs Bohemian Rhapsody with absolutely authentic fervor is really an accomplishment there.

Yes, there are some clichés served in this biopic. There's a lot left out, and yes, a lot of rough edges are sanded down to fit the masses. But not only is the film superbly acted, it's genuinely enjoyable - enjoyable to watch and enjoyable to listen to. And exactly for that there is also a very clear: Absolutely worth seeing!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp