The problem with the bio-pic is that it attempts to essay an entire person’s life in a matter of minutes. Such may be why Laurence of Arabia and Citizen Kane  are two of the greatest (noted, one is fictional), because both present the case that we’re only seeing fractions of the man, and what makes that person who they are. Todd Haynes has wrestled with this before, in its way I’m Not There is his third bio-pic (if Velvet Goldmine counts), and Velvet Goldmine appears to be a rough draft for this.

Here the subject is Bob Dylan. To make heads or tails of him, the character is divided up into six sections: Woody Guthrie (Marcus Car Franklin) a young poor black child who’s learned this music and speaks in a twang that most people see right through. Arthur Rimbaud (Ben Whislaw), the poet dilettante who dictates and smokes heavily. Jack Rollins (Christian Bale), the folk singer demigod who turns to Jesus later in life. The actor Robbie Clark (Heath Ledger), who once played Jack Rollins, and is now going through a divorce with Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) for his inability to keep it in his pants. Jude Quinn (Cate Blanchett), who plays in London and hangs out with Allen Ginserg (David Cross) , and is haunted by the British journalist Mr. Jones (Bruce Greenwood), and has a troubled relationship with model Coco Rivington (Michelle Williams). And finally Billy the Kid (Richard Gere), the old sad sack cowboy who lives in a small town that’s being lost to the banks.

Weaving an intricate narrative with numerous allusions to the songs and works of Bob Dylan, there is much delight to find in the film. It may hit a viewer sideways, its boldness is sometimes more textual than visceral, and the intellectual exercise may prove tiring for some. In its essence, the title deals the hand, which says pretty plainly that the film is not going to make too many conclusions about Dylan, and his ability to mutate. And yet there is so much to love. I love how the Rollins Dylan, protest-Dylan, is the same Dylan who found Jesus. That the representation of early “poseur” Dylan is that of a young black child.

But what seemed the weakest section of the film on first viewin has now become the most resonant. Robbie Clark’s actor who fails in marriage has gained another level with the passing of Ledger, though it’s also fair to say it’s one of the films to which Heath will be remembered. He’s excellent here, but this portrait of someone’s life crumbling can feel a little spooky, depending on how much you read into it. I don’t read that much into it, but I showed it to someone who couldn’t take it. Still, it’s a great performance, in a film filled with a number of them. I found myself most interested in the esoteric essays on Dylan. When the film veered closer to the reality I was less entranced then when it was insane fantasy, which seemed to cast a greater truth on the events.

The Weinstein Company and Genius Pictures presents the film in anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) and in 5.1 surround. Extras on the first disc include a commentary by Todd Haynes, which is thorough. He brought footnotes for this one, and it shows, and his appreciation of Dylan is masterful. There’s also a way to access the songs specifically, a subtitle track for the lyrics, and a still gallery with text about Dylan and the film.

On disc two there’s two deleted scenes, two audition tapes with Franklin and Whislaw, four extended sequences that feature more performance material, the blooper reel, and footage of Ledger cut together in tribute. There’s two trailers, and the Unleashed Flash card trailer, which has the stars re-enacting the Subterranean Homesick Blues video in a number of different edits. The premiere gets a short (3 min.) piece, while the soundtrack gets a much longer featurette (21 min.), and goes in to how many of the songs came together, and the numerous guest performers (from Eddie Vedder to John Doe to Cat Power), while there’s a conversation with Todd Haynes (42 min.) that covers some of the same territory as the commentary but offers tons of information about the making of and Dylan himself. This is a must have if you’re a fan of Haynes or Dylan. There’s also a still gallery on D2 with essays about the making of the film, and Dylan info.