"Stars and Character" and Velvet Goldmine

In my entry, I’d like to highlight Dyer’s discussion of “Stars and ‘Character.’” Firstly, “particularisation of character” Dyer highlights occurs three-fold in Velvet Goldmine: the individuality of the fictional characters, the unique star personas of the same characters, and the stardom of the actors themselves. The ways in which characters within the movie (Arthur Stuart, Bale’s character, in particular) interpret the stardom of Brian Slade and Curt Wild were directly reflected in my own interpretations of the stardom of Christian Bale, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Ewan McGregor.

While viewing Velvet Goldmine, I realized that Dyer’s perspective on the “construction of character” – that audiences use a variety of signs to construct the notion of a character – was very much in play. Signs such as audience foreknowledge, appearance, gesture and speech shaped my understanding of the characters themselves. Take Brian Slade’s star persona as an example: I previously knew that this film was to feature a 70s glam rock star, inferring historical and cultural knowledge and reflecting them upon Slade’s persona. From his appearance (i.e. ostentatious attire, heavy make-up and glitter, blue hair), and from his exaggerated gestures and speech (or songs) during performances, I deduced that he presented himself as an outrageous spectacle

Moreover, Velvet Goldmine substantiates Dyer’s concept of “stars as characters.” Observing Christian Bale’s performance as Arthur Stuart provides a perfect example. Bale, known for his edgy, complex performances, provides a sense of depth to Arthur’s character that reads beyond the script. Furthermore, his mere presence in the film signals a level of controversy and profundity that may not have been established for Velvet Goldmine had he been absent. Finally, his “fit” in this film can be seen as “problematic” as well: Bale’s typical dark, mysterious characters are typically far removed from innocence as a character trait, yet a young Arthur is written to be very naïve. Thus, Bale’s performance may read as less innocent as Arthur’s character was intended to be – a clear incidence of the stardom of Christian Bale affecting his portrayal of Arthur Stuart.

Questions for class:

1. Are personal interpretations of film also time-specific? For example, do audiences from the late 90s construct their understanding of characters from Velvet Goldmine differently than contemporary audiences?
2. Do “problematic fits” between stardom and character always distort the way in which film characters are intended to be viewed?
3. In Velvet Goldmine, can we fully separate the way we construct Brian Slade and Curt Wild’s characters as unique individuals and their characters as stars, or are they too intricately connected (as is often the case with real-world stardom and celebrity)?