Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere – Movie Reviews by Ry!

Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere – Acoustic Hearts in Life’s Melodies

The power of words is the power of moments.  From utterance to a song, lines grip within what you hear and feel.  For film, that grip is a measurable of one’s escape to the world at hand.  If the journey becomes a wonderous thing, the words will lead to an unforgettable tale.  In this review, I take a look at the latest biopic to hit the big screen.  From the music to the personal, Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere is a dive into how songs can be more than a simple melody on the radio.

From humble beginnings to unexpected stardom, Bruce Springsteen (Jeremy Allen White) will dive into his past to craft songs that become much more than simple strings on a guitar.  For biopics, there is a sense of predictability that comes forth.  From childhood memories to the ‘pivotal’ reflective moments, the journey of a real person becomes another stone’s throw into the pond.  For any filmmaker tackling a singular ‘real’ tale, the question becomes … how do you break the norms of the genre?  With this film, it becomes a mixing of memories and moments through the crafting of a particular album: Nebraska.  In the beginning, we come into this film through the drop-in method, watching Bruce Springsteen playing  to a sold-out crowd in the early 80’s.  After some conversational moments, he wraps up his most recent tour and heads out to a secluded house in New Jersey, beginning to work on new songs.  As the film slows down, it shifts its focus on characterized situations.  In these moments, Springsteen begins to craft songs based on childhood memories combined with inspirations from books, TV shows and present personal relations.  As the filmmakers dance with realistic motifs, the generalized foundation shifts to a retrospective of the person, putting a thematic focus on trauma and personal growth.  With Springsteen left to his own vices, the directive is broken up by flashbacks that add a level of fragility to the creative spirit of an artist.  The clash of the personal and professional weighs deep on his psyche, adding to the delicate journey of creative aspiration vs. musical stardom.   

Putting the focus on the character adds a genuine touch to the music biopic, raising the stakes to a point of relativity for the audience.  From the delicate music craftmanship to the blindness of perfection, you see the pain in each lyric and guitar strum but also the certainty to open up what was left closed. With Springsteen dead set on creating the Nebraska album, we head into a final act that brings the genre motifs and personal perspectives full circle, leading to a reflective climax and epilogue.  Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere goes beyond the genre motifs for a unique perspective of the heart.  If you are a fan of the music, biopics or character films, this is for you.  For everyone else, I believe this film is worth the full price of admission.

Full Score – 4 out of 5 (Full Price)