Renaldo and Clara is a 1978 American film directed by Bob Dylan and starring Bob Dylan, Sara Dylan and Joan Baez. Written by Dylan and Sam Shepard, the film incorporates three distinct film genres: concert footage, documentary interviews, and dramatic fictional vignettes reflective of Dylan's song lyrics and life.

Filmed in the fall of 1975 prior to and during Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue tour, the film features appearances and performances by Phil Ochs, Ronee Blakley, T-Bone Burnett, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Allen Ginsberg, Arlo Guthrie, Ronnie Hawkins, Roger McGuinn, Joni Mitchell, Mick Ronson, Arlen Roth, Sam Shepard, Anne Waldman, and Harry Dean Stanton. Renaldo and Clara was released in its original four-hour form on January 25, 1978, in the United States. Its limited release in theaters in New York City, Los Angeles, and other cities was discontinued after a few weeks following widespread negative reviews.

Production

Renaldo and Clara was influenced by the French film Les Enfants du Paradis, and was written by Dylan. Most of the performers are musicians or members of Dylan's inner circle; the only professional actors in the cast are Sam Shepard, Harry Dean Stanton, Helena Kallianiotes, and Ronee Blakley.

Many of the artists performing with the Rolling Thunder Revue are featured in the film, which also includes clips of concert performances and footage of Rubin Carter, the subject of Dylan's song "Hurricane". The film also features an appearance from the musician, David Blue, who gives some insight into the 1960s New York City folk music scene while playing a game of pinball. The machine was a Big Valley, built by Bally in 1970. The film also contains the last known footage of Phil Ochs, who is shown preparing to take the stage at Folk City in October 1975; he committed suicide six months later.

Poster Design and Title cards— John Kosh

Cast

  • Bob Dylan as Renaldo
  • Sara Dylan as Clara
  • Joan Baez as Woman in White
  • Ronnie Hawkins as Bob Dylan
  • Ronee Blakley as Mrs. Dylan
  • Jack Elliott as Longheno de Castro
  • Harry Dean Stanton as Lafkezio
  • Bob Neuwirth as The Masked Tortilla
  • Allen Ginsberg as The Father
  • David Mansfield as The Son
  • Helena Kallianiotes as herself
  • Rubin "Hurricane" Carter as himself
  • Scarlet Rivera as herself
  • Roger McGuinn as himself
  • David Blue as himself
  • Joni Mitchell as herself
  • Rob Stoner as himself
  • Steven Soles as himself
  • Mick Ronson as Security Guard
  • Anne Waldman as Sister of Mercy
  • T-Bone Burnett as The Inner Voice
  • Larry Sloman as Newspaper Man
  • Sam Shepard as Rodeo
  • Howie Wyeth as himself
  • Arlen Roth as himself
  • Arlo Guthrie as Mandolin Player
  • Roberta Flack as Guest Artist
  • Phil Ochs as himself

Reception

Upon its theatrical release in 1978, Renaldo and Clara received poor reviews, and, after opening in New York City and Los Angeles, its initial limited theatrical run was discontinued after a few weeks. The film was also shown in a film theatre in Hampstead, London, in a film theatre in Rialto, Dublin and in the Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in May 1979.

Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote in her review of the 1978 debut of Renaldo and Clara, "The film is full of connections to be made and riddles to be solved, but it approaches these things so dispassionately that the viewer has little choice but to follow suit. Even though Mr. Dylan makes it clear that he in no way wanted to make a concert film, the footage of him in performance provides not only the film's most electrifying moments but also its most emblematic ones"

Accolades

This film received a dishonorable mention for Worst Picture at the first Stinkers Bad Movie Awards. It won in that category when the ballot for that year was revisited and expanded in 2003.

{| class="wikitable"

! Date

! Award

! Category

! Recipients

! Result

!

|-

| 1979

| rowspan="4" | Stinkers Bad Movie Awards

| rowspan="2" | Worst Picture

| rowspan="2" | Renaldo and Clara (Circuit Films)

|

| November 7, 1975

  • "God and Mama" performed by Mama Maria Frasca, Dreamaway Lounge, Becket, MA,

See also

  • The Bootleg Series Vol. 5: Bob Dylan Live 1975, The Rolling Thunder Revue (2002)
  • Bob Dylan – The Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1975 Live Recordings (2019)

References

Further reading

  • Renaldo and Clara: a synopsis