IF you are a Bruce Springsteen fan, the film about what was going on in his life in the lead up to the recording of his Nebraska album, is well-worth seeing.
While the film, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere is dark – some have even said boring – I really enjoyed learning more about the man behind the songs.
Based on the book by Warren Zanes, the film shows Springsteen (Jeremy Allen White) descending into depression and shutting himself away from everyone including his love interest Faye (Odessa Young).
If you listen to the album – released in 1982 – the song Nebraska itself along with Atlantic City and Johnny 99 are particularly bleak while My Father’s House and Mansion On The Hill are the kind of songs you could play if you are having a party, it’s late and you want everyone to go home.
Dealing with depression and childhood demons is a significant and difficult test for anyone but young musicians (especially those with limited emotional intelligence skills) on the way to becoming superstars often choose far riskier behaviour than what the Boss demonstrates in the film.
Yes there is a scene where he is driving too fast and he avoids any chance of emotional intimacy with Faye but eventually with the support of his manager Jon Landau (Jeremy Strong) he seeks support for his depression.
It seems to me in the years since the release of Nebraska, the Boss has mastered some emotional intelligence skills such as self-awareness and self-regulation and over time has written some more emotionally mature songs including If I Should Fall Behind.
His song Born In The U.S.A. did not make it onto the Nebraska album.
My first introduction to Springsteen’s music was when my younger sister used to play Born In The U.S.A. with the volume turned right up most mornings when I was trying to get my middle child back to sleep when he was just a few months old.
Often I would storm into her room to find Born In The U.S.A. on repeat and that she had already left for work.
The experience put me off listening to his music for many years.
It was only when I was looking for a birthday present for a friend that I picked up a copy of Springsteen’s autobiography Born to Run.
I found it difficult to put down and from then on I started listening to his music, which is why I was so keen to see the film.
