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Rami Malek: An Opinion on Bohemian Rhapsody

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UC Berkeley chapter.

    Having spent my entire life thrown into a music-centric world, music has always been one of the most influential forces in my life. I’ve played the piano since I was five years old, and I’ve played the saxophone as well as having sung as an alto in multiple separate choirs. Music is important to me, and I feel as though I have a decent understanding of it as an artform as well.

    Having gone through a Queen phase(as everyone does) in middle school, it had been too long for me to have remembered how their music affected me when the film Bohemian Rhapsody came out. Yet, I was intrigued and compelled to watch this movie that would bring a semi-accurate image of what life is like being a rock star to life. It’s an idea we’ve all thought of at some point in our lives–the life of a celebrity always seems so glamorous until you do some more research. Most artists actually have been described as having been quite lonely or troubled after their time. Queen, being extremely successful and having such a powerful message, also had their times of doubt and struggle and that being reflected in the media makes a powerful statement.

 

                             Needless to say it did not disappoint.

 

    Having had small glimpses at what Rami Malek’s characters have been and his talent was before, I was aware that he is no small actor. Yet, I had never seen him tackle a character with as much gusto as Freddie Mercury had. That is not a small task for any actor: no matter how talented. Yet, Rami Malek completely outdid himself and captured Freddie Mercury in a way that I don’t think any other actor would have been able to accomplish. Taking a character and turning it into your own as an actor is one thing, but taking a real person and bringing them to life is a completely different story. You have those who knew them to stand for you, and you must do an idol justice.

    In interviews Malek remains cool, calm, and collected; he has shown a humbleness that is difficult to find nowadays in someone as talented as he is. He speaks eloquently and comes across as genuine and well-rounded on the camera. Both on screen and off-screen I have been impressed with his performance and his persona. The actors that we have to look up to in our generation are far and few inbetween. Not only is Rami Malek a new, fresh face in the acting scene, but he’s also unique and he doesn’t allow himself or his talents to be typecast into one roll.

    The film is incredible, as many of his films have been in the past. Despite the ways it deviates from the true timeline of the band, it does bring the essence of their time together to life. Having such a powerful actor bring Freddie Mercury to life will hopefully bring the current generations attention to the dynamic of music and reality that life as an artist holds.

 

UC Berkeley class of 2021. My heart is in the mountains, and with any corgi I see. I'm interested in writing, yoga, running, hiking, boxing, playing piano, music, adventures, and studying psychology and anthropology.
Melody A. Chang

UC Berkeley '19

As a senior undergraduate, I seek out all opportunities that expand my horizons, with the aim of developing professionally and deepening my vision of how I can positively impact the world around me. While most of my career aims revolve around healthcare and medicine, I enjoy producing content that is informative, engaging, and motivating.  In the past few years, I have immersed myself in the health field through working at a private surgical clinic, refining my skills as a research assistant in both wet-lab and clinical settings, shadowing surgeons in a hospital abroad, serving different communities with health-oriented nonprofits, and currently, exploring the pharmaceutical industry through an internship in clinical operations.  Career goals aside, I place my whole mind and soul in everything that I pursue whether that be interacting with patients in hospice, consistently improving in fitness PR’s, tutoring children in piano, or engaging my creativity through the arts. Given all the individuals that I have yet to learn from and all the opportunities that I have yet to encounter in this journey, I recognize that I have much room and capacity for growth. Her Campus is a platform that challenges me to consistently engage with my community and to simultaneously cultivate self-expression.