«Rocketman,» a Rocket Soaring Through Elton John's Sky

Cinema Wednesdays - Jonas Follonier and Lauriane Pipoz

A dashing man dressed in an orange angel’s costume, soaring toward the sky, strides forward with a determined gait, ready to step onto what we imagine to be a grand stage. But this grand opening scene of the film takes us by surprise: the flamboyant character played by Taron Egerton walks into an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. «My name is Elton Hercules John, and I’m an alcoholic, a cocaine addict, sex addict, »a bulimic…" The actor’s face at the beginning of the film is heart-wrenching; his eyelids, caked with powder and filled with terrifying grief, foreshadow the film’s central theme.

Red like the gleam of her tinted glasses. Glasses to hide behind, just like the parties are a refuge for many shy young people who are totally lost in their hectic lives? No doubt. Elton John, as this film sufficiently demonstrates, is an introvert who disguises himself as an extrovert. A bit like Michel Polnareff - yes, him again. In fact, when a reporter asked him if in the seventies He didn't consider himself the French Elton John; Polnareff had given that doll-like «no" that left the reporter speechless: "No, no, no. Elton John is the Polnareff of the world.» To convince you that this comparison between the two kings of pop isn't just a wild fantasy, please turn to one of today's best rock critics and a true heir to Lester Bangs, Bester Langs, and his article Michel Polnareff. Behind the glasses.

Rocketman is as much musical comedy as it is drama: if you're going to convey Elton John's emotions to the audience, you might as well do it with music! The story is interspersed with musical moments. But far from showing only the singer and musician's live performances, they are integrated into Elton John's life to describe the feelings he experienced. This use of music as a vehicle for emotions works extremely well. And sometimes allows us to discover the songs from a different angle. Tiny Dancer, à title For example, it’s a truly unique moment in cinema! You really understand this song when we see it on screen, sung by the main character while he himself is watching a scene of intimacy between his friend and a young woman.

A film that assumes its subjectivity

But beyond the emotional aspect of the music and the rediscovery of certain songs, the music also serves to highlight the subjective nature of the story. The subjectivity that is, paradoxically, essential to biographies is fully embraced, particularly through stereotypical characters—the very mean producer, the very kind lyricist, the very selfish mother. This is by no means a problem: choices had to be made to depict—and edit—decades of life into a two-hour film. Similarly, Taron Egerton not only perfectly embodies Elton John, but this perfection is brought to life through a deeply personal performance. And boy, is he charming.

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It would seem that the central theme of the film is to explore the influence of Elton John’s inner circle on his personality and music. So why complicate the story? This is the singer’s biography, not that of his inner circle. The moment they start singing serves to emphasize that we are indeed watching a show, a show in the American style, where everything is exaggerated and extravagant, just like Elton John. The only aspect where this film could have been less prudish is our hero’s homosexuality. The camera seems so timid in the face of the only two male sex scenes that one can guess at the censorship issues at the production level.

In addition to the effects of his entourage on the singer-songwriter, it is also the effects of the drug, another kind of entourage, who are portrayed on screen. A well-known fate in the world of rock. Many scenes in the film focus on Elton John’s various addictions, and one in particular stands out for its artistic genius. We see the British musician swallowing a large number of pills, washing it all down with alcohol, and diving into his pool in the middle of a party with his loved ones. In the water, we are plunged into the rocker’s profound loneliness, and we see his child self—also portrayed by an excellent actor—playing his song at the bottom of the pool on a small piano. You’ll see plenty of images like this when you go to see Rocketman. An important film, both entertaining and moving.

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Photo credit: © Paramount Pictures