Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere - When the Silence is Loud
Springsteen, Nebraska and the Courage to Stay Small
I fully admit, I was not prepared.
As I left the theater after viewing the Bruce Springsteen biopic "Deliver Me From Nowhere," I was gobsmacked. I always regarded Nebraska as a masterpiece — raw, stripped-down storytelling that set a new tone for artists and fans everywhere.
But I wasn’t expecting a film that crawled beneath the skin of the man who poured what was left of his heart and soul into its making.
And the mental and emotional cost of it all.
So I'll forego an album review and focus on the film itself — one that gives painful insight into a man suddenly caught between silence and noise, past and future, guilt and innocence.
The film explores one of Springsteen's darkest periods, having just come off a hugely successful tour with record company hounds barking for a follow up to The River (1980).
Bruce hit an artistic speed bump and lost his bearings. In direct opposition to what was expected from him by Columbia Records — who were pining for a chart topping repeat — Bruce was pulled in another direction and composed an accoustic collection of deeply personal, folk-influenced songs on a four-track recorder. Alone.
Unprecedented. Unorthodox. Unpopular.
It was a purging of sorts. The ghosts of Springsteen's past. The relationship with his alcoholic father and a childhood riddled with uncertainty, volatility, and mental abuse were inevitable contributors to his quiet slide into depression. Throw in a pinch of imposter syndrome and survivors guilt and the cocktail became too potent to swallow.
So he poured a different one instead.
Enter Jon Landau, Springsteen's ever-loyal manager. The only person you may be inclined to feel more empathy for than Springsteen himself. Landeau walked the tightrope between artist and label, never wavering in his belief. He allowed Bruce the space to create while holding back the suits and quietly encouraged him to seek therapy.
Jon's portrayer Jeremy Strong delivered a thoughtful and soulful performance that allows you to feel the weight of loyalty and depicted the strong bond between Landau and Springsteen.
As for Jeremy Allen White's performance? Stellar. Oscar worthy in my opinion. At least a nomination to be sure. His portrayal was pure Springsteen — from the gravel in his voice to the pure defiance in his posture.
This film earns it's praise for its voyeuristic plunge into how a man fights his demons, preserves his artisic integrity, and creates something that resonates so deeply that Nebraska hit #3 on the charts, despite obscure cover art, no tour and zero publicity.
So why is the Boss’s most haunting album still his most human story yet — and it's creation powerful enough to inspire a film?
There’s a kind of silence that only artists know — the one between the noise of success and the truth of who they are. That’s where Bruce Springsteen built Nebraska.”
As for the film? It’s not about fame. It’s about the spaces in between it — the hideaway rental house, half-finished songs, and the stillness that makes creation possible.
A poignant reminder that artistry is sometimes found in the moments when no one’s watching.
Go watch it.