It’s been seen countless times; celebrity sensations stealing the stage. With gaudy outfits, daring ideas, and an excess of glitter, glam-rock stars were no exception. These 1970s, U.K. idols dressed, behaved, and performed in audacious ways that were impossible to ignore. Todd Haynes, director of “Poison” and “Safe,” demands the same attention in his film “Velvet Goldmine,” and it deserves the spotlight. Though in-your-face and absurd at times, this work of art is as unique and infectious as the era it illuminates.
“Velvet Goldmine” follows Arthur Stuart, a British journalist played by Christian Bale who is assigned to cover a story on the infamous Brian Slade, a bisexual, glam-rock idol played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers whose life loosely parallels that of David Bowie. A decade after Slade’s controversial death, Stuart sets out to uncover the discrepancies behind Slade’s demise. In a series of interviews and flashbacks, Stuart reveals Slade’s rise and fall as a distinguished icon and his love affair with both music and Curt Wilde, another rising star played by Ewan McGregor, a character inspired by Iggy Pop and Lou Reed.
Meyers hits every high and low of Slade’s rollercoaster-like lifestyle with the drama and passion that characterizes Slade. He is both the sensational celebrity, whose snarky attitude reeks of glamour, and the insecure individual, who falls into fits of rage and derisive laughter. But all along, he knows he’s a big deal, and he doesn’t hide it. Just one bat of his heavy lidded eyes, and he knows he has everyone’s attention.
McGregor is the perfect counterpart. He wears Wilde’s bizarre look and personality as if it’s natural, going so far as to strip entirely at a concert, jamming nude before his audience. His over-the-top performance exudes the way in which Slade idealizes Wilde.
And Bale manages to capture the essence of two eras. In various flashbacks, he joins the mobs of delirious young adults decked out in wild outfits that more resemble costumes. And in the present, he becomes the subdued, matured observer whose only traces of his past are found in his passion for covering the “Slade story.”
Acclaimed costume designer Sandy Powell, two-time Oscar nominee, epitomizes the glam in glam-rock in “Velvet Goldmine.” Glitter, glitz, sparkle: she does it all. Draping characters in everything from psychedelic, Victorian-inspired attire to skin-tight, metallic pants to outrageous platform boots, Powell’s costumes scream for just as much attention as their dramatic wearers. Most impressive is Slade who is a true icon at a concert in a luminescent body-suit adorned with glistening jewels, sequins, and an impressive collar of plumes. Taking the stage, this warped angel shimmers just as brightly as the silver confetti that engulfs him.
Celebrated hair and makeup artist Peter King, known for “The Portrait of a Lady” and “The Tango Lesson,” pinpoints an era with swooping lashes, charcoal eyeliner, and lots and lots of hairspray. In true glam-rock style, the characters don futuristic, artificial looks; Slade sports an electric-blue hairdo, and Wilde’s milky blue eyes, framed in heavy, black makeup, peer out of a greasy blonde, shoulder-length veil. In a Slade music video, humans become abstract, alien-like forms with bejeweled bodies painted blue and doused in a coat of glitter. It seems flashy and overdone, but because it is flamboyant, it captures the essence of a phenomenon that took bold risks and tested boundaries.
The “Velvet Goldmine” soundtrack is just as emotionally charged as the characters, mirroring their constantly changing, unpredictable moods. One moment Slade steals the stage to the roar of the audience and the scream of electric guitars, and the next, he is exhausted or depressed while accompanied by an ensemble of melancholy string and wind instruments. The music, though spontaneous, establishes a flow and relationship between the often-disconnected scenes and characters. This fluidity stems from multilayered melodies that weave together dialogue, background noise, and contrasting themes, such as pop and folk.
“Velvet Goldmine” is as outrageous and compelling as any rock concert: heavy make-up, guitar solos, outlandish outfits, and all.
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