In August, an image surfaced showing Tom Hiddleston as country music legend Hank Williams for the upcoming movie I Saw The Light. When comparing the above promo image with the classic shot of the singer, it’s hard not to see the similarities. Sure, looking the part is definitely an important component to any decent biopic — hell, I still see Johnny Cash when I look at Joaquin Phoenix — but when it comes to telling a musician’s story, the really great projects call upon the on-camera talent to exercise their musical proclivities.
Case in point: In Walk The Line, Phoenix not only took on the mannerisms of the country legend — who passed away 12 years ago this Saturday — but he also sang the classic songs in the film to provide more of a sense of realism. To this day, the actor’s version of “Cocaine Blues” remains a strong contender (in my opinion) to Johnny Cash’s live prison recording of the track.
That brings me to the brand new clip just released for I Saw The Light. While Johnny Cash definitely changed the country music game, Hank Williams is a flat out music legend. Not only did his music define the genre, his style helped form and influence many different iterations of popular music. Without his rockabilly stylings, the evolution of music over the past century may have looked completely different. So given the importance of the subject matter being tackled here, Tom Hiddleston looks to be taking the realism route by singing all the tracks featured in the movie himself.
Earlier today, the actor premiered a minute long video on Twitter showcasing his vocal abilities while covering one of Hank Williams’ most iconic songs, “Move It On Over”:
It gives me great pleasure to introduce the first clip from I SAW THE LIGHT. @TIFF_NET tomorrow! #MoveItOnOver https://t.co/0xC30AghNF
— Tom Hiddleston (@twhiddleston) September 10, 2015
When comparing to the original recording of the track, I’m a little conflicted. While Hiddleston definitely looks the part, it feels like his rendition of the classic track isn’t right. Maybe it’s the updated production value or the fact that we have a classically trained British actor singing in a Southern twang meant to emulate an American icon. Still, it’s a one-minute long clip and I may possibly be splitting hairs. There have been many movies about music legends — Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra come to mind — where the musical numbers were lip synced, making the movies feel like pure ham-fisted drivel. What I’m saying is, at least Mr. Hiddleston is going all in.
I Saw The Light is set to hit theaters in November and is sure to be a contender in the Oscar race to follow. But with the signature sound that made Hank Williams famous, I’m hoping we’ll get another glimpse at Tom Hiddleston’s singing skills before the movie premieres. I believe in you, Loki!
(Via @twhiddleston)
