Movie - Walk the line
Tue 28 February 2006
Gail Loader, Journalism
The movie ‘Walk the Line’ - which depicts the life of legendary singer Johnny Cash - has been attracting enthusiastic audiences since its release in Australia last month.
The movie features Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon, who both received Golden Globes for their performances as the late Johnny Cash and June Carter-Cash.
Phoenix puts in an impassioned performance as the troubled ‘Man in Black’ belting out true renditions of Cash’s man
y hits, and displaying his rifle-like style of playing the guitar.
Witherspoon, without her trademark blonde locks, shows her true acting ability portraying the sassy but saddened singer June Carter who became Cash’s second wife.
Both actors sang in the movie, having trained with vocal coaches for months before filming began.
Although ‘Walk the Line’ also picked up a Golden Globe award as the Best Picture – Musical or Comedy it is a difficult movie to categorise, somewhere between a rock documentary and a love story.
‘Walk the Line’ reveals how Cash’s difficult childhood made him into the troubled musician whose list of songs are almost as black as his wardrobe.
The heartbreaking loss of his beloved brother and a family life tainted with abuse and addiction became the backdrop for his youthful love of music.
Cash emerged as a star during the birth of Rock n Roll in the 1950s, his music cutting across traditional style boundaries with a unique sound that forged a revolution. He rose to fame alongside the early rockers including Jerry Lee Lewis and the “King of Rock n Roll” himself.
He became music legend around the world, and as a voice for the rebel and the outlaw he appealed to the broken and downtrodden in us all.
We see his battles as young man trying to support a growing family, the struggles of unexpected fame, temptations of a celebrity lifestyle and the love that rescued him from ruin.
‘Walk the Line’ is a moving and heartfelt story with clear themes of family and the difficult moral choices that shaped Cash’s life.
The film took over seven years to make and was developed with the co-operation of Johnny Cash and June Carter-Cash before their deaths in 2003. The story is based around Cash’s books, his autobiography and the ‘Man in Black’.
If you thought country music was boring, ‘Walk the Line’ shows the wild side of the industry and will have you tapping your toes and singing along to Cash’s many hits.
Image(s) designed by 20th Century Fox
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Submitted Comments
I loved this movie. I can't wait for it to be on DVD.
Holly