The year Bob Dylan 1986 stands out for many fans as a period of dynamic collaboration, particularly his tour with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Capturing the energy of this era was the concert film Hard to Handle, filmed during the Australian leg of their True Confessions Tour. Helming this project was an unexpected choice: acclaimed Australian director Gillian Armstrong, known for dramatic features like My Brilliant Career and later Little Women, not concert documentaries. In a revealing look back, Armstrong shared her unique experience navigating the world of rock and roll royalty, shedding light on the making of this often-overlooked gem from Dylan’s extensive videography. Her firsthand account provides invaluable insight into Bob Dylan 1986 and the creation of a film that documented a vibrant, if complex, moment in his career.
An Unexpected Choice: Directing Dylan
Gillian Armstrong’s journey into directing Bob Dylan began somewhat serendipitously. Dylan’s management, spearheaded by the influential Elliot Roberts, conceived the idea of a concert film shot in Australia to build buzz for the upcoming American leg of the tour with Tom Petty. With a need to manage costs but maintain high production values – HBO required filming on expensive 35mm film for US broadcast – they turned to Australia’s then-thriving film industry. Armstrong, already celebrated for her Academy Award-nominated debut My Brilliant Career, caught their attention.
Acclaimed Australian director Gillian Armstrong circa 1985, a year before filming Bob Dylan.
“Elliott had seen My Brilliant Career,” Armstrong recalled. “I’m not sure that Bob saw the whole film, but he definitely had seen some of it because he did talk to me about Judy Davis, who he thought was excellent.” Dylan himself reportedly selected Armstrong personally, despite her admitted lack of experience in the concert film genre. Roberts facilitated an immediate meeting, flying Armstrong to New Zealand where the tour commenced. “He put me in the plane sitting next to Bob, so that we could talk about it,” Armstrong explained. “That was the whole premise of how it started.”
Coming into the project as a “casual Dylan fan” rather than a die-hard devotee proved advantageous. “In retrospect, I think it was actually quite good that I wasn’t star-struck, because I saw how other people behaved around him,” she noted, observing the intense fandom surrounding the musician. Armstrong believes her straightforward, professional approach resonated with Dylan. “I think Bob realized after a while, he could just trust me… I’m not a bullshitter. I think he quite liked that in the end.”
Capturing the 1986 Tour Down Under
The decision to film in Australia was driven by logistics and economics. Besides leveraging the local film talent and managing the budget, the requirement for 35mm film for HBO made the shoot a significant undertaking. Armstrong mentioned it might have been the largest 35mm shoot in Australia at the time due to the sheer amount of film stock needed for multiple cameras over potentially multiple nights. “I had six cameras,” she stated, highlighting the expense compared to standard Australian television production practices (video or 16mm).
Promotional poster for the Bob Dylan 1986 concert film ‘Hard to Handle’ directed by Gillian Armstrong.
The filming primarily took place over two nights during the band’s return engagement in Sydney. This two-night strategy served a crucial purpose: mitigating the uncertainty of the setlist. “Bob would never tell us exactly what the songs would be or their order,” Armstrong revealed. Filming both shows offered flexibility in the edit, allowing them to choose the best performance of each song or ensure adequate camera coverage. Armstrong also negotiated an additional half-day session without an audience “so we could get all over the stage without blocking them… to do some extra close-ups and things like that,” though she admits the final edit seamlessly integrates these pickups.
Bob Dylan performing live on stage during the 1986 tour with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
Armstrong aimed for a specific aesthetic, moving away from the handheld, raw feel common in earlier rock documentaries. “Our idea, because it’s the ’80s, I said, ‘Why don’t we do something that’s simple and classy and has lovely moves?’” This included utilizing one of the first Louma cranes available in Australia, operated manually at the time. The crane delivered some of the film’s most memorable shots, like a sweeping move during “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” executed without rehearsal. While she initially pitched some “artier” concepts, including behind-the-scenes footage or a conceptual finale involving Dylan lookalikes, Dylan preferred to keep the focus strictly on the concert performance. “He just said, ‘No, I think we’ll just keep it simple.’”
Behind the Scenes: Sound, Songs, and Star Power
One significant challenge arose not from the cameras, but from the sound mix in the venue during the initial Sydney shows before the filming nights. Armstrong noticed the poor audio quality experienced by the audience, contrasting sharply with the sound the band heard through their stage monitors. “He’s playing, and the audience were just restless, unhappy. It didn’t sound very good,” she recalled. After negative reviews appeared, highlighting the subpar sound, Armstrong felt compelled to act, fearing it would dampen the energy for the filmed performances.
Sydney Morning Herald review clipping criticizing the sound mix during Bob Dylan’s 1986 Sydney concert.
She encountered resistance from the crew and management, who were hesitant to deliver bad news to the star. “Everyone was hiding the reviews from him. They were hiding them!” Armstrong took it upon herself to ensure Dylan was aware. “I finally got one of the reviews from the Sydney paper and I gave it to Bob’s assistant, and I said, ‘You have to show this to Bob, because he has no idea.’” Her intervention worked; the sound issues were addressed by the time the cameras rolled, ensuring a better atmosphere and performance capture. This incident also provided Armstrong with insight into the bubble of celebrity. “That’s how people behave with a celebrity… Celebrities do that to themselves. They’ve snapped once or twice and so no one will ever speak up again.”
Creative discussions continued into the editing phase. Armstrong flew to Los Angeles for a screening with Dylan and Petty. Dylan’s primary feedback was concise: “Too many shots for the backup singers.” Armstrong and her editor, John Scott (a devoted Dylan fan), had admittedly focused heavily on the visually appealing singers. “We might’ve gone over the top,” she laughed, “So we pulled that back a bit.”
The most significant debate centered on the film’s opening song. Armstrong had initially chosen a visually striking acoustic number, likely “Girl from the North Country,” featuring a dramatic crane shot revealing Dylan in a spotlight. However, Dylan insisted on opening with “In the Garden.” Armstrong felt this was a poor choice for drawing in a broader HBO audience, and sensed reluctance even from the band and crew regarding the song. “I definitely got the sense that nobody in the band liked the song… They did the worst lighting on it… So I only ran three cameras.” Despite her arguments and even hushed pleas from management (“Gill, please, please talk him out of this!”), Dylan remained firm. Armstrong ultimately relented, but not before jokingly telling Dylan, “Bob, you owe me. One time, I’m going to want a song for a movie and you’re gonna have to give it to me.” He agreed: “It’s a deal.”
Director Gillian Armstrong with Cate Blanchett and Ralph Fiennes on the set of ‘Oscar and Lucinda’ in 1997.
True to his word, about a year later, Dylan granted Armstrong permission to use his song “Dark Eyes” for her film High Tide, starring Judy Davis (whom Dylan admired), for a nominal fee. “He’s a man of his word,” Armstrong confirmed.
Bob Dylan’s handwritten notes from February 1986 brainstorming songs for the ‘Hard to Handle’ film.
Throughout the process, Armstrong was impressed by the work ethic of Dylan, Petty, and the band. “They were always working on something or rehearsing something… he was very conscientious and so was Tom and all the band.” She also fondly recalled Dylan’s gentlemanly conduct and a surreal moment crossing Sunset Boulevard in LA, where traffic stopped simply because drivers recognized him.
The Legacy of ‘Hard to Handle’
Despite the effort and quality, Hard to Handle had a limited release. Broadcast on HBO as intended, it later appeared on VHS and Laserdisc but never received a DVD or official streaming release. “It was never shown here [in Australia],” Armstrong lamented. “No one here even knows that I did it.” Consequently, for decades, the film has primarily existed as bootleg copies online.
Bob Dylan and Tom Petty share a microphone performing during their 1986 concert tour.
However, there’s hope for its revival. The Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa has reportedly been working on restoring the film from the original 35mm elements. Visitors to the Center’s theater have seen a restored version of “When the Night Comes Falling from the Sky,” described as looking “amazing.” Armstrong is enthusiastic about the prospect: “It would look amazing, because it’s feature film quality… It’s very easy just to scan the 35 mil, and then they can really expand the sound.”
Reflecting on the experience, Armstrong appreciated capturing the palpable energy and fun Dylan seemed to have on stage with the Heartbreakers. “You could see that he really got off on the other musicians… You could feel that they really liked each other.” While acknowledging the existence of additional filmed material (two full shows were shot, yielding far more than the final 10-song cut), she doubts much usable content beyond a few extra songs exists, given the constraints of the one-hour HBO runtime.
Regarding Dylan’s modern reputation for being camera-shy at concerts, Armstrong found him entirely professional during the 1986 shoot. “He knew that they needed this to be good. He was willing… to come back and do pickups.” She contrasts this with the current concert environment dominated by phone recording, which she understands could frustrate artists like Dylan.
Conclusion
Gillian Armstrong’s involvement with Hard to Handle offers a fascinating window into Bob Dylan 1986. Her perspective as an accomplished filmmaker, yet an outsider to the concert film world, provides unique insights into Dylan’s working methods, the dynamics of his collaboration with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and the practical challenges of capturing a major rock tour on film. From navigating sound problems and debating song choices to witnessing firsthand the curious effects of celebrity, Armstrong’s recollections paint a vivid picture of the period.
Hard to Handle remains a significant document of a beloved Dylan tour, notable for its high production quality (thanks to the 35mm filming) and the evident enjoyment of the performers. While its availability has been limited, the potential for a full restoration offers hope that this snapshot of Bob Dylan 1986, as seen through Gillian Armstrong’s lens, will reach a wider audience, finally showcasing the “simple and classy” concert film she set out to create.
