'Blinded By The Light' Featurette: Here's How The Filmmakers Got Bruce Springsteen's Blessing
The music of Bruce Springsteen plays a major role in Blinded by the Light, which means that if the Boss said "No way" to the use of his songs, the filmmakers would've been in trouble. Luckily, Springsteen was happy to let Blinded by the Light use many of his signature tunes, resulting in a movie that's bound to be a crowd-please. The Blinded by the Light featurette below reveals how the filmmakers managed to get Springsteen's blessing.
Blinded by the Light Featurette
Writer-director Gurinder Chadha and co-writer Sarfraz Manzoor knew that going into Blinded by the Light without the strict approval of one Mr. Bruce Springsteen would've been a catastrophic mistake, and maybe even a waste of time. So it's a good thing that Springsteen seemed more than happy to let the filmmakers use his music for the upcoming indie film. The clip above actually features Springsteen meeting Chadha and Manzoor for the first time, and them pitching him on the film idea. Springsteen eventually got ahold of the script, and the rest is history.
Blinded by the Light "tells the story of Javed (Viveik Kalra) a British teen of Pakistani descent, growing up in the town of Luton, England, in 1987. Amidst the racial and economic turmoil of the times, he writes poetry as a means to escape the intolerance of his hometown and the inflexibility of his traditional father. But when a classmate introduces him to the music of "the Boss," Javed sees parallels to his working-class life in Springsteen's powerful lyrics. As Javed discovers a cathartic outlet for his own pent-up dreams, he also begins to find the courage to express himself in his own unique voice."
/Film's Ethan Anderton caught Blinded by the Light at Sundance this year, and was quite impressed:
Feeling like a spiritual sister to fellow Sundance-selected film Sing Street, Blinded by the Light uses the power of music to give a struggling teenager hope. Even if you're not a fan of Bruce Springsteen, you'll find yourself singing along and tapping your toe to tunes like "Born to Run" and "The Promised Land," especially when Javed starts joyously singing them out loud. There aren't choreographed breakout sequences like Sing Street, so the energy isn't quite as high or exhilarating, but that's kind of the idea. These sequences are more grounded, like Springsteen himself, but the jubilation is still there, and it's largely thanks to an outstanding breakthrough lead performance.
Blinded by the Light opens August 16.