He was called the Man in Black and was one of the most influential musicians and songwriters of the past century. For decades Johnny Cash has touched people’s hearts with his terrific songs of life all while battling with addiction and emotional instability. He is also the only man inducted in the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame.
The question on every Johnny Cash fan’s mind is could this legend be properly justified on the big screen? Well when the Man in Black himself helped with the writing of the movie, Walk the Line you know he wasn’t going to do anything but tell people the truth.
Walk the Line is not just a tribute to one of America’s greatest artists, but a story of a man struggling with pill addiction, alcohol abuse and personal turmoil. It also represents the love and devotion he had to the one person who completed him, June Carter.
This movie shows fans the side of Johnny Cash that is darker than the black clothes he wore, and the side with a love and passion brighter than the sun.
From his days picking cotton on his father’s field, to his famous performance at Folsom Prison, it has everything Cash fans want to see. The movie plays all the famous Cash hits like “Ring of Fire,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” and of course “Walk the Line.”
The casting team could not have made a better choice than Joaquin Phoenix. Not only does he resemble a young Johnny Cash, but Phoenix has that attitude and style that Cash was so well known for. The endless hours Phoenix spent learning how to play guitar and to sing with that deep voice really paid off.
It’s more than just the Johnny Cash story. His love for June Carter is a part of his life which cannot be forgotten and Walk the Line surely does not miss it.
The role of his life companion and best friend June Carter is played by Reese Witherspoon. She embodiess the energy and sass of June Carter and her performance os nothing short of Oscar-worthy.
Phoenix and Witherspoon’s on-screen chemistry is astounding. When watching the movie it seems as if you are watching the real Johnny Cash and June Carter, and not just two actors.
This is a movie for anyone who is a music lover.
It truly embodies the heart and spirit of one of America’s greatest icons and shows people just how difficult a life it was for Cash.
He may have never done hard time like the men he played for in Folsom Prison, but his life was just as grueling as anything the prisoners were going through.
Walk the Line truly represents Johnny Cash and June Carter just how they were: two people with a passion for music and a love for each other.
Dan Cappello can be reached at dancaps@temple.edu.
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