The Era of Bohemian Rhapsody
No Escape From Watching Director Bryan Singer Bring Queen Back to Life
On November 2, 2018, director Bryan Singer’s new movie, Bohemian Rhapsody, was released in theaters throughout the country. Singer was most known for the success of X-Men, released in 2000, and the 2016 X-Men Apocalypse.
Bohemian Rhapsody is based on the band Queen’s rise to fame in the 1970s, led by charismatic lead singer Freddie Mercury. The song, “Bohemian Rhapsody,” was a hit for Queen in 1975.
The movie stars Primetime Emmy Award best actor for Mr. Robot, Rami Malek. Malek discussed his drastic transformation into Freddie Mercury an interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. “I have these teeth that I wear, and the first time I put them in my mouth, I was incredibly insecure,” Malek explains. “Then I found myself compensating; I just started sitting up straight, being more elegant.”
When filming Bohemian Rhapsody, all the producers cared about was capturing Mercury's spontaneity. “I just had to find his humanity, what his conflicts were,” Malek stated in an interview with Cinemablend.
It did not take long before the talented actor found himself impersonating the singer’s distinct posture and way of singing and dancing. However, it did take a lot for Malek to transform into the iconic character instrumental wise. According to Cinemablend, Malek spent a year taking singing and piano lessons. Recreating the presence of Freddie Mercury was crucial for this movie in order for a new generation to understand the true excitement and uproar of Queen.
Many viewers were very impressed by Malek’s specific techniques on mirroring Freddie Mercury. In a Rotten Tomatoes review, the film scored 62% on the “Tomatometer,” and a whopping 91% of the viewers liked the movie in an Audience Score.
