WALK THE LINE: The Good, The Bad, And The Beautiful Line Of Fire
It’s very strange to look at a film as moving as Walk The Line and not think about the icons of Johnny Cash and June Carter in awe. In fact, it’s almost impossible to not look at the portrait of any legend, music, lit, or film without being amazed at how well portrayed they are when it comes to the actor’s ability to get inside their head, fucked up as it will tend to be. Hey, they are artists after all, and even Charles Bukowski spoke highly on the benefits of insanity. The tragedy of that statement though is that most people don’t often grasp the price behind the pain every artist experiences. Even trying to have them have an understanding is an endeavor that leaves one feeling more alone than the moments leading up to the crafting of their magnum opus and the grace it bestows on them. In the case of an actor getting inside the head of another actor, different medium or not, only ups the scale of pain to be experienced.
For an actor like Joaquin Phoenix, who has faced his own demons, to get inside of the mind of the Man In Black, is truly a challenge worth noting. Before even a word of dialogue is spoken, this feeling is best emulated through the sullenly contemplative gaze Johnny Cash gives to the saw blade he stands before, mere moments before he is about to perform before an audience of convicts, who no doubt carry their own scars in a state of isolated suffering a man like Cash could probably find greater relatability in than in any conversation with the average person, fan or no fan. A quick flash back to Cash’s childhood, as well as other periods of his life further show the core basis of what Walk The Line is truly about and how much our past shapes both the good, the bad, and the beautiful line all artists walk. Although the film primarily deals with the relationship between Johnny Cash and June Carter, it’s ultimately a story about the love we grant ourselves, before we can accept the love others give us.
It’s become a common thing for most musical Bio’s to embody this approach. In many ways, it could be argued as being nothing more than an overused cliche that borders on a certain level of pretentiousness. But, when we take a look at the road most artists venture, it usually borders on a repetitive patter of self-doubt and self-destructive vices that often attribute to a wound they were never able to truly recover from. In the case of Johnny Cash, the film explores the loss of his older brother Jack, who died very young, and was favored more by their father played by a stern and stubbornly unloving Robert Patrick, who despite not occupying a good portion of the film, the few moments he is within the presence of his son at an older age only show the depths of pain that fuels Cash’s addictions, as well as the rather obsessive behaviors he demonstrates towards June Carter (Reese. Witherspoon).
It would be easy to think of the romantic element within Walk The Line, which showcase Johnny Cash having what is a rather sudden obsessive romantic flare for a fellow artist. But given the setting, the early childhood pain, in addition to the fact that even as a twelve year old boy, the man in black would often listen to a young June Carter on the radio says enough of the longing for something only artists could resonate with. The mere innocent splendor within a young Jonny Cash listening to a young June Carter speaks of something that is both magical and beyond the dreams of escape oppressing circumstances forge. Although this could be nothing more than the innocence of an early crush on a star that would eventually become an icon. But for a man who found greater peace within the darkness of addiction and all black attire once he truly came to love himself, it was really a closer means to finding light within his life.
Of the many songs to occupy Walk The Line such as “Ring Of Fire” “Cocaine Blues” and even “Walk The Line,” which is obvious, there is a sense of irony in one of the songs missing. Although Johnny Cash’s Hurt was originally a 9 Inch Nails song, there is something poetically resonant about it, especially within the context of a film that focuses on the hurt people endure, and how they cope with it. This doesn’t just attribute to the pain of Johnny Cash, but even that June Carter, who also undergoes her own journey of self-loathing eventually leading to self-acceptance.
June Carter’s past is never explored within Walk The Line. Even the scope of her multiple failed marriages are only told through rumor or news headline. From what the film’s narrative dictates, it’s clear that the reason for their failure was from the husband’s end, and their inability to deal with the chaos that follows an artist and hectic schedule their craft demanded. For a touring musician, Cash undergoes a similar trial with his first wife Vivian (Ginnifer Goodwin), who is portrayed as the standard ideal version of the 50-60’s nuclear family housewife, which clearly prefers the husband with the traditional 9-5 job and demeanor that hardly compromises on the social safety often associated with what the film depicts as a rather repressive form of social life. It could be argued that this depiction of Cash’s wife borders on some level of sexism. But then again, when looking at the rather socially repressive qualities of that era, regardless of the sexes, it’s warranted and even championed as an instrument of demonization.
The title of the film Walk The Line draws directly from the song of the same name, and the fundamental nature of the song’s name itself is a perfect characterization of the psychological state an artist lives. This can range anywhere from a painter, a writer, or any type of musician who lives, embraces, and even suffers the chaos of the path they walk. Cash and Carter are not the only artists showcased in what is among James Mangold’s most iconic films. With the likes of Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis making cameos that never shy away of them in embracing their drug addled vices, the line that the song of the same name mentions is all the more clear and concise for anyone walking a path towards greatness, even at the expense of dancing with a devil they have yet to truly know. At the same time though, despite the dangers associated and sincerely attributed to this type of creative lifestyle, one cannot ever say it is a boring life, as opposed to a standard sales job that makes the biggest worry of paying a mortgage that much more easier to deal with.
Walk The Line is a great film. It’s also a perfect embodiment of the song of a man, who like any artist learned through pain, self-destruction, and self-accepting forgiveness of the line every artist walks when they take a stage, or close their eyes as they let their mind guide them. One of the common faults many artists, regardless of creed often make is that they tend to overthink their way into a corner when it comes to crafting their next work. James Mangold’s Walk The Line is about letting go, and even taking serene comfort in knowing you as an artist are not alone in walking this very line, even as it dangles you into an abyss where your love and hate for the art you dedicate your heart and soul to can either save or leave you forever trapped in a ring of fire.
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