I don’t remember the exact moment I heard Queen for the first time. In fact, when I heard We Are the Champions that was used for a cricket tournament montage, I didn’t even know whose song it was. All I knew was that I liked the song. I loved it. It was much later that I was formally introduced to the music of Queen.
Like many others, I was thrilled at the news of the Freddie Mercury biopic: Bohemian Rhapsody: The Film. The title could do some reworking, I had thought when more reports popped up confirming the project. Nevertheless, I figured this was long overdue. The rumours about a possible movie were far too many. Sure, there are documentaries that have focused only on Freddie’s lifestyle and his subsequent struggle with his illness. But, this time, it was going to be a full-fledged movie.
Next bit of information about the biopic I read was that Rami Malek has been roped into play Freddie Mercury. I don’t quite see him as Freddie, but what the heck! I’m sure Malek’s acting would make up for the lack of resemblance to Freddie; and if you’ve got some talented make-up artist, I figured, you’re good to go. This is going to be an epic biopic.
But now, it looks like fans aren't going to get the much talked about Freddie Mercury biopic after all. Oh no, it is still happening. The film will focus only on Queen, its music and success, and leave out Mercury's personal life and his long battle with AIDS. I’m sorry. But that’s not what we signed up for. If it’s a Freddie Mercury biopic that was promised, then it damn well be a Freddie Mercury biopic.
One Twitter user aptly put our thoughts into this tweet: “This is like a film on Nixon that leaves out Watergate.” That’s right, brother.
Why would the band advertise it as a Freddie Mercury biopic and then change the storyline? It did not make sense. Quite a lot of people on social media lashed out at Brian May and Roger Taylor who are associated with the production of the biopic. I sensed their frustration. I felt it too. Although I had had a crush on Roger Taylor, Freddie was the star. I wanted what all fans wanted―a movie on Freddie Mercury. And an aptly named movie, thank you very much.
Musical genius
Queen was the biggest band in the world at one point. But without Freddie, it would have been just one of the several bands that mushroomed in the 70s and faded away after tasting some degree of success. Don’t get me wrong; Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon have immensely contributed to Queen and the rock music in general. But it was Freddie’s vision and direction for their music that ultimately took Queen on the path to greatness. Freddie paved it with his musical genius.
Bohemian Rhapsody, written by Freddie, catapulted Queen into rock and roll hall of fame. Up until the release of that record, it was rumoured that the band’s fate hung in the balance with their record label. Although Freddie had been working on bits and pieces of the song since the 60s, it wasn’t until The Night at the Opera was released that people got a glimpse of the genius of Freddie Mercury.
To this day, Bohemian Rhapsody is one of the most popular and influential songs of rock history. Naming the movie after this kickass song and telling fans that it’s just going to be about the band is nothing less than a slap in the face. No, no―a kick in the backside.
Queen opened their act at the 1985 Live Aid concert with this song. Following the band’s brief break after recording their previous album The Works, Live Aid ’85 was one of the biggest concerts that Queen had performed on. It had been more than 10 years since they made their debut in the music scene, and Queen’s freshness on stage was only heightened by the exhilarating performance of Freddie Mercury―and it gave us "The Note Heard Around the World". Even watching it for the umpteenth time on YouTube still gives us goosebumps. Freddie owned that stage. And Queen was, indeed, music royalty.
Here is something we should never forget about Freddie Mercury. He was HIV positive. His personal life was pretty much guarded and kept away from the public. People, who have closely followed Queen and its music, know he died of AIDS. He was one of the most famous victims of the disease, and this led to more awareness, more research and funding to find a cure for this deadly disease. Why would you want to hide that part about Freddie? Yes, he denied having contracted it. Only a few people were privy to this information. He hid it from the world till the day before his death. British media was hounding and harassing the man to accept it. But his illness was not going to be fodder for the press to feed on. He knew he was going to die. It was part of what kept Freddie an enigmatic figure. Telling the world who he was, what he achieved and what he fought isn’t going to diminish the enigma surrounding him. I, like many, would like to know a wee bit more about the Great Pretender. That was what this biopic was supposed to be. Not an opportunity for May and Taylor to relive the good old days on the big screen.
So, don’t take that part away from Freddie. If you’re going to make a movie about Queen, you don’t make it just about the band. Freddie’s personal life, his choices, his long and secret fight with AIDS that ultimately led to his death―you don’t leave that part out. Do justice to one of the greatest performers in rock music history, and also his and the band’s fans.
