Really Rotten
Film parallel
"You know when you know you've got rotten? Really rotten? Fruit flies. Dirty little fruit flies come to feast on what's left of you when there isn't much left to feast on anymore." - Freddie Mercury, Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
Bohemian Rhapsody is a 2018 biographical musical/drama film directed by Bryan Singer and Dexter Fletcher. Starring Rami Malek, the movie showcases the life of Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of the British rock band Queen.
Farrokh Bulsara is an ordinary man with an extraordinary skill in singing. Recognizing his talent and wanting to do something with it, he joins a band. The band plays gigs across Britain with Farrokh as the lead singer.
Farrokh changes his name to Freddie Mercury and the band's name to Queen. Around the same time, he proposes to Mary Austin. In 1975, their song Bohemian Rhapsody becomes a global hit bringing Queen to the limelight. Freddie begins an affair with Paul, his manager. He soon comes out to Mary as bisexual, thus calling off the wedding.
Queen continues to be the international favorite and their success persist throughout the 1980s. But the band breaks up, with Freddie making decisions on his own and signing solo deals. He starts to engage in drugs and orgies with Paul. When he comes to know of the fact that he was supposed to participate in a Live Aid concert, he fires Paul for withholding the news. In an argument that follows, Freddie tells Paul, "I want you out of my life. You know when you know you've got rotten? Really rotten? Fruit flies. Dirty little fruit flies come to feast on what's left of you when there isn't much left to feast on anymore. So, fly off. Do what you like. But promise me one thing, that I never see your face again. Ever." This marks a turning point in Freddie's life. He realizes that he has lost his very self, so much so that he can't recognize himself. He feels remorseful and resolves to do the right thing. Despite Paul going public about his sexual escapades, Freddie reunites with his band and play at Live Aid, helping to increase donations. He comes to learn that he has AIDS but chooses to spend whatever time he has left performing and making music. He reconnects with his family and embraces his father's principle of "Good thoughts, good words, good deeds".
Following his death in 1991 at the age of 45, Mary Austin establishes Mercury Phoenix Trust in 1992 to raise awareness and funds for HIV/AIDS-related causes around the world.
Now, let's have a peek into Elvis (2022).
Elvis is also a biographical musical/drama film depicting the life of the American rock and roll singer and actor Elvis Presley. Directed by Baz Luhrmann, the film stars Austin Butler as Elvis and Tom Hanks as Elvis' manager Colonel Tom Parker.
All events leading from Elvis' childhood to his death are beautifully portrayed in the movie. Elvis grows up listening to and loving music. While in Memphis, he develops a fondness for the Beale Street music. With the help of Parker, Elvis' talent gains worldwide fame. But his music gets criticized by one part of the public, claiming that his way of performing is inappropriate and that it would corrupt white children. In spite of all the threats and warnings, Elvis continues to perform throwing out his signature wiggle moves. This gets him in trouble, and he is sent into the US Army. However, he returns at the news of his mother's death. He feels responsible for her death, and it tears him apart.
During his time in military service, he falls in love with Priscilla Beaulieu. They get married and Elvis begins his film career.
Following the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F Kennedy, and the racial segregation issues that prevailed at the time, Elvis decides to bring in the agony of the oppressed in his music. He joins to work with Steve Binder. In a conversation with Steve at the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles, Elvis says, "When I first came to Hollywood, I'd come and sit here for hours. Right over there, you see an observatory. That's where they shot Rebel Without A Cause. Man! I used to dream of being a great actor like James Dean. The sign was beautiful then. And now it feels like lots of things like that, these days are breaking down, beaten up, rotten. You know, back when I was starting out, some people wanted to put me in jail, even kill me because of the way I was moving. So they cut my hair and put me in uniform and they sent me away. I killed my mother. Ever since, I've been lost.. and when you're lost, people take advantage." He says this in the context of facing a downfall in his music career.
By performing a Christmas television special featuring his past songs, he not only reclaims his music but also manages to regain his popularity. After the special, Elvis goes about concert tours in Las Vegas. He soon gets engrossed in substance abuse and extravagance. Unable to take it anymore, Priscilla divorces him taking their daughter Lisa Marie with her. Upon discovering Parker's involvement in gambling and illegal activities, Elvis makes an effort to fire him, but Parker's leverage through blackmail prevents him from doing so. Elvis manages to maintain a rigorous performance schedule which eventually leads to the deterioration of his health.
Elvis dies of a heart attack at the age of 42, but Parker states that it was his love for the public that killed him.
Freddie Mercury and Elvis Presley's lives are similar in so many ways. While fame and wealth brought them luxury and happiness, it also brought them isolation and a loss of perspective to a point where they felt rotten.
Both of them lived for music. They were both incredibly influential musicians who left a lasting impact in the world of music and popular culture. Elvis was one of the first musicians to bring rock and roll to the mainstream, while Freddie helped popularize the 'arena rock' sound in the 1970s and 80s.
Their songs still resonate in our heads and will continue to do so, for generations to come.
There are many other great songs that you may enjoy exploring!
This post is a part of #BlogChatterA2Z 2023.
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Elvis Presley 💞 Freddie Mercury 💞
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