Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) Forget all the historical inaccuracies and that the filmmakers jumbled up the timeline to make their story larger than life than they already are. That is the artistic licence for you and me, the liberty to romanticise up the story to spice it up for the screen.
1985 Live Aid concert was not the parting short for Queen before Freddie Mercury withered into the sunset to deal with his illness. In reality, his diagnosis was only known to him in 1987. No, Mercury was not the villain who wanted to part ways for a solo career. Other band members also had their individual gigs before that.
Nevertheless, the movie turned out to be quite an exciting depiction of a musical genius who had the trappings of wanting to bring out the best of rock music while living life to its fullest in his short lifespan and burning out before the legend in him ever did.
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| Farrokh Bulsara - Romi Malek |
The take-home message that I took from this film that at the end of the day, when the tide is low, it is family that one can rely upon. In Freddie's case, there are his biological family and musical family. His biological family, by the twist of fate, a pure freak accident of Nature or a cruel throwing of dice by the Master Maker, are intertwined in the DNA of compassion and bond of love. The band buddies are bonded by the shared passion for music, the cement of life.
As strung in the lyrics of the Queen's super hit, 'We are the Champions', our words, actions and deeds land us in a lot of troubles. We regret, we pay our dues. Time and time again, we make the same bad mistake. Even though these wrong footings are a few and we come out unabashed even after falling flat on the face, sometimes we fail to rebuild our bridges. We go on and on, thinking we are indestructible and that we are doing the right thing. We think we are champions of the world.
But when fall comes, when the curtain falls, all the fame, the glory, the friends and all the things that came with it will just fade away. That is when family matters, to cry with you.
At the end of the day, only good thoughts, good words and good deeds leave a mark at the end of your time when it is ripe to move to the other side.
