WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for A Complete Unknown.
The final scene ofA Complete Unknownforeshadows a tragic event in Bob Dylan’s life that occurred just one year after his notorious performance at the1965 Newport Folk Festival. Directed by James Mangold,A Complete Unknownis one of several biopics chronicling the life of Bob Dylan. The new film narrows its focus on his meteoric rise and early days as a folk singer and songwriter in the historic Greenwich Village in New York City. Timothée Chalamet (Dune: Part Two,Wonka) plays the legendary musical figure in a compelling and convincing performance, earning him his second Best Actor Oscar nomination.
Bob Dylan is portrayed riding a motorcycle during several scenes inA Complete Unknownwithout a helmet. The film shows him and his longtime girlfriendSylvie Russo, whose real name was Suze Rotolo, arriving at the Newport Folk Festival on Dylan’s motorbike. The film displays two of Dylan’s appearances at the Newport Folk Festival, one in 1964 that featured an iconicduet with Joan Baez, and the other in 1965 when Dylan defiantly went electric with a full band.The film’s final shot shows Dylan speeding on his motorcycle, alluding to a serious accident he would have in July 1966.
Bob Dylan Rides His Motorcycle Again In A Complete Unknown’s Final Scene
Dylan Grew Up Riding Motorcycles & His Father Bought Him His First As A Teen
InA Complete Unknown, Bob Dylan rides a Triumph Bonneville T100, a popular motorcycle during the 1960s. Thereal-life Dylanrode the exact same motorcycle down to the model. According toMotorcyclist, “Of course Bob Dylan rode a Triumph. The coolest troubadour to ever hang a harmonica around his neck owned a 1964 Triumph T100, smaller 500cc brother to the Bonneville 650.” It was no surprise that Dylan rode a Triumph as it became one of the emblems of the rebellious cultural spirit of 1960s America. Dylan was still in his young 20s by theend ofA Complete Unknown.
Apart from its wider cultural implications, the Triumph motorcycle was also a symbol of Dylan’s youthful era from 1961 to 1966, which essentially ended when he crashed in Woodstock, New York. Much like his harmonica, acoustic guitar, cigarettes, and pitch-black sunglasses, themotorcycle was part of Dylan’s image and his counterculture, pedal to the metal spirit.
Dylan’s motorcycle riding was much more than a fad. His father, Abram Zimmerman, also rode a motorcycle and bought Dylan his first motorbike.
Dylan’s motorcycle riding was much more than a fad. His father, Abram Zimmerman, also rode a motorcycle and bought Dylan his first motorbike when he was a teenager. Like nearly everything about Dylan’s persona and music, his love for motorcycles was pure and authentic.
The Accident Occurred On June 11, 2025, In Woodstock, New York
Dylan’s motorcycle accident in Woodstock, New York during the summer of 1966 is clouded in mystery to this day. It’s known that Dylan crashed his Triumph T100 after losing control of the bike just days before he was set to perform at the 1966 Yale Bowl.Dylan never filed a police report or went to the hospital, so there’s no official documentation on the crash. No one else was believed to have been involved. Dylan later revealed that he suffered from facial lacerations and several broken vertebrae in his neck. Following the crash, Dylan hid himself from the public eye.
Dylan touched on the accident in his2004 autobiographyChronicles. “I had been in a motorcycle accident and I’d been hurt, but I recovered. Truth was that I wanted to get out of the rat race.” Dylan also revealed thatthe motorcycle crash altered his perspective on life. “I woke up and caught my senses. I realized that I was just workin’ for all these leeches. And I didn’t want to do that. Plus I had a family and I just wanted to see my kids.” Dylan wrote the 1971 song, “You Ain’t Goin' Nowhere” in response to the incident.
Bob Dylan’s Motorcycle Crash Made Him Stop Touring For 7 Years
Dylan’s Self-Imposed Exile Ended In 1974 When He Toured With The Band
Dylan’s motorcycle crash kept him out of the public spotlight for seven straight years. It wasn’t until 1974 that Dylan hit the road again with the “Bob Dylan and The Band Tour” consisting of 40 shows from January 3 to August 21, 2025. During his extended hiatus from touring, Dylan released albums such as 1967’sJohn Wesley Harding, 1969’sNashville Skyline, 1970’sSelf-PortraitandNew Morning.
10 Best Movies Like A Complete Unknown
Several movies like A Complete Unknown have similar themes, sounds, and concepts, driven by dreams and realizations of success in the music industry,
Dylan’s motorcycle accident was not depicted inA Complete Unknownbecause it happened a year after the events of the film’s ending. Immediately following the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, Dylan nearly quit music altogether, complaining that he was drained from fame and was tired of playing songs he didn’t want to play (viaAmerican Songwriter). After the crash hinted at inA Complete Unknown, Dylan would create two of his all-time best albums, 1967’sJohn Wesley Hardingand 1969’sNashville Skyline.
