The charming 2019 British comedy Blinded by the Light tells the sweet and interesting story of a Pakistani teen in 1980s England; he finds an escape from life and the inspiration for his writing through the music of Bruce Springsteen.
The movie is a compelling story of a young teen trying to find his way in the world while exploring it in a new way. Though it might not have been seen by a wide audience, it is a movie worth watching and learning about.
Springsteen Fans
The movie follows a young boy named Javed, a British-Pakistani teen who forms an expected connection with the music of American rocker Bruce Springsteen when he first hears it. The music goes on to inspire Javed in facing his own problems, from family to his writing.
Interestingly, this story was based on a true story: screenwriter Sarfraz Manzoor's love of Springsteen extended beyond his teen years, and he considers him a huge influence to this day. While co-writer and director Gurinder Chadha was only made aware of Manzoor's story through this movie, she too grew up as a passionate Springsteen fan.
The Movie's Champion
Before writing the movie, it became apparent that the most important person that would need to sign off on the movie was "The Boss" himself – Bruce Springsteen. Though he had no direct involvement with the making of the movie, both Chadha and Manzoor knew it would be an uphill climb without his approval.
But Chadha credits someone else with helping get this movie made. According to her, it was Springsteen's wife, Patti Scialfa, who helped get the movie on his radar as she was a huge fan of Chadha's other movie, the teen comedy Bend it like Beckham.
Springsteen's Approval
The approval of Springsteen himself was important to the filmmakers because of how much they admired him as an artist and hoped he would be happy with his music serving such a pivotal role. It was also important so his music could actually be used in the movie itself.
Chadha was nervous about which songs they would be allowed to use as they had a limited budget. But she was encouraged by Springsteen's team to start developing the movie and "everything would be worked out."
Song Choices
In recent years, there has been a trend of movies revisiting popular music from a certain generation. Movies like Bohemian Rhapsody and Yesterday became as popular for their soundtracks as anything else. However, for Blinded by the Light, the filmmakers had different priorities.
Chadha didn't want to use Springsteen's most popular songs just for the sake of it. In choosing the right songs, she insisted that they need to serve the story and not be exploited for audience recognition.
An Immigrant Story
While the tale of this young boy and his love of Springsteen is at the center of Blinded by the Light, Chadha knew there was more to explore with the story. As with many of her movies, Chadha saw this as a tale about immigrants and their hardships.
Not only did the movie manage to comment on the xenophobia that certain cultures in Britain faced at the time, but Chadha noted that the story was unexpectedly relevant to a lot of the politics of today.
Light And Dark
Though the movie features some very fun and upbeat musical moments, Chadha wanted to mix in the moments of happiness with darker moments. This is particularly seen when Chadha's family is caught up in an altercation with white supremacists.
The disturbing scene is scored to Springsteen's song, "Jungleland," particularly the saxophone solo performed by the late Clarence Clemons. When Chadha sought approval from Springsteen for using the song in such a dark scene, he responded, "I think Clarence would really like that."
Father And Son
Another central aspect of the movie is the relationship between Javed and his father. While his father is concerned with the family pulling together to help with their financial situation, he cannot understand Javed's obsession with American music and his proposed career in writing.
Chadha also found that this aspect of the story connected to Springsteen himself. When watching his one-man Broadway show, Chadha remembered Springsteen speaking about seeking the approval from his father that he never got.
The Daytimer Scene
The most interesting aspect of the movie is how it explores the way this British-Pakistani boy relates to one of the most quintessential American artists and how his songs speak directly to him. While this was always important, Chadha wanted to ensure it wasn't all about Springsteen.
Chadha wanted a moment that spoke to the British-Asian experience who weren't connected to Springsteen. This developed into the scene where Javed accompanies his sister to a daytime club where South-Asian teens dance to music of their own culture.
The Power Of The Words
The movie is filled with moments that come close to feeling like a surreal musical number. However, there was also the desire to keep things grounded and not simply have characters singing along to popular songs.
During the sequence in which Javed hears Springsteen for the first time, Chadha wanted to show the power of the words and the impact they were having on Javed. This resulted in lyrics for the song being projected onto the buildings around Javed as he listens to the music.
Tweaking The Truth
While his own experiences inspired the movie, Manzoor was not too concerned with keeping things too accurate. He was initially skeptical about the proposed love story his character would have joking that no such relationships were happening in his youth.
However, Manzoor once again took inspiration from Springsteen. He reasoned that the stories in Springsteen's songs are never suggested to have actually happened to him, but it is the impact of the story that matters.