Freddie Mercury : The Untold Story

FREDDIE MERCURY : THE UNTOLD STORY

Directors : The Torpedo Twins

Year : 2000

Genre : Documentary

Rating : ****1/2

Having directed some of Queen's most daring and inventive music videos such as 'Scandal', 'The Invisible Man' and 'These Are The Days Of Our Lives', as well as having helmed some of the bands' later 'making of' documentaries and interviews, Rudi Dolezal and Hannes Rossacher (also known collectively as 'The Torpedo Twins') were the perfect candidates to direct a personal and in depth biographical film about the bands powerful and charismatic frontman Freddie Mercury who died 22 years ago today from AIDS induced bronchopneumonia. 

Exploring every aspect of his turbulent and controversial life from his birth in war torn Zanzibar to his tragic and painful death in 1991, 'Freddie Mercury : The Untold Story' does a fantastic job of making the world - famous multi - millionaire rock star a relatable and extremely human character who had the same needs, wants, desires and fears as every other person on the planet. To some, he was the greatest singer the world has ever known, to others he was a debaucherous soul who wasted his life indulging in excess and pure decadence. Whatever individual viewpoint you may have about Mercury, this documentary should broaden even the most closed of minds and show the futility of prejudice and unfounded animosity. Most definitely larger than life and certainly not forgotten, 'Freddie Mercury : The Untold Story' is an absolute must - see for fans of both Mercury and Queen, as well as general music fans and those who love well made and insightful documentaries.

 

Rather than serving as a traditional account of the life and death of a famous icon, 'Freddie Mercury : The Untold Story' feels much more like a group of friends paying tribute to their late companion. Of course, having previously worked with Mercury on several groundbreaking videos and multiple interviews, The Torpedo Twins could not fail to add a touching and highly personal aesthetic to the film making and while the documentary certainly touches on some of his more outlandish and controversial behaviour (including his overt and flamboyant homosexuality), the overall tone of the movie is ultimately positive and nostalgic. Making brilliant use of the huge amount of archive footage available, as well as also utilising beautifully shot and well realised reconstructions of Mercury's formative years, Dolezal and Rossacher endeavour and indeed succeed in making the great man feel more amiable; added to this the inclusion of interviews with those near and dear to the star (including his personal assistant, his partner and even his own mother), 'Freddie Mercury : The Untold Story' is an unbelievably poignant and sometimes heartbreaking look at a musician who would revolutionise the rock genre to millions upon millions of people, but to a handful of others was a friend, a brother and a son.

Named by the late, great Roger Ebert as one of the greatest documentary films ever made, 'Freddie Mercury : The Untold Story' is a fantastically directed epitaph to one of the most important icons in 20th century popular culture. Obviously as a huge fan of Queen, this is a documentary that I would clearly love but I do truly believe that the film making of such a high level and that the overall story is so enlightening and captivating that even those with no interest in the band, Mercury himself or rock music in general should still enjoy it immensely. So many documentaries have been made about Freddie over the years and there are even talks of an upcoming biopic in the pipeline, but this film is by far the best ever made and if you only ever watch one documentary about the celestial rock star, then definetly make sure it is then one.