Stardust, when Bowie 'loser' was looking for Ziggy - Lifestyle

Forget glam rock and the White Duke think rather of rhythm and blues, long hair and confused yet swaying steps on women's heels: David Bowie in search of himself, of an identity, determined to find it with the aim of successful, self-centered like any self-respecting artist. It is the Bowie, let's face it, still loser from the beginning who arrives on the big screen in Stardust, the film by Gabriel Range with the musician Johnny Flynn who plays the future musical genius when at 24 he makes his first (disastrous) tour in America. At the Rome Film Festival today (in the room soon with I Wonder Pictures) it was presented by the director and protagonist: "it's a love letter to Bowie, written in absolute respect" they said. The family, claimed the director, did not see the film or approve it: "the son - said Range - clearly explained that he did not accept works on his father", nor were the rights to the songs granted because here the songs of the young Bowie, who was trying to launch Space Oddity, are very few. Rather it tells the nightmares of the aspiring rock star, his uncertain and clumsy steps with the media, the determination to break through and the skepticism, with rare exceptions, of his own Mercury record companies: the Bowie of the film until in the final scene he literally transforms into the alien from outer space, Ziggy Stardust, his alter ego character. The emphasis is on the bond with his stepbrother Terry who ended up in a manicon like other relatives of theirs, which is why the London singer feels in those years about to become schizophrenic. "For our part - continued the director, author of an appreciated documentary on Churchill - absolute respect for the great art of David Bowie: if the public expects to see and hear the great hits, this is not the film. This was not the film. our goal: we were interested in something more reflective, intimate without having to use the catalog of his masterpieces, a film that could produce a studio not us. And anyway Stardust is based on facts - continued Range - David Bowie in '71 goes to He uses but does not have the documents, the green card and so he has never been able to perform except on small private occasions or talking on the radio. As for the story of the family madness we did a lot of research with co-writer Christopher Bell and it is all authentic " . Bowie travels to America to promote his latest record, The Man Who Sold the World, leaving behind his pregnant wife Angie (Jena Malone) and finds himself touring with Mercury Records press office Rob Oberman (Marc Maron) without getting any attention until he realizes the need to reinvent himself in order to truly become himself. "His life - said the protagonist Flynn - is seen through a prism. I found the idea of ​​the film funny in imagining what this person was like at the time with all his existential problems, a film list of performances and songs not I would be interested because I believe that showing the beginnings of Bowie, who has always believed with determination that he would be successful, can also encourage young artists of today to believe in themselves. "