Rocketman
RocketmanandBohemian Rhapsodyboth feature the role of John Reid , but both movies give a very unlike take on the military personnel . Rocketman , the Elton John melodic bipoic , charts the rock star ’s rise to fame , his struggle with addictionand in the end , his journey to soberness .
Taron Egerton plays Elton John , with Jamie Bell as his longtime cooperator and friend , Bernie Taupin . Rocketmanalso stars Richard Madden as John Reid , a music handler and the man who became Elton John ’s first lover . The couple were romantically link for 5 twelvemonth , though it was keep hide at the time . Reid also managed Elton ’s career , from 1973 to 1998 . Their business partnership ended acrimoniously , with Elton John deal Reid ’s companionship to court .
Elton John was n’t the only successful bit that Reid make do ; he also looked after Queen during the elevation of their renown , from 1975 to 1978 . InRocketman , Reid is not depict favourably at all , whereas inBohemian Rhapsody , he is shown to ( mostly ) be a practiced director and a decent mortal . Both picture show are directed byDexter Fletcher , who took overthe helm ofBohemian Rhapsodyafter Brian Singer left . So why the unlike takes ?
John Reid and Elton John
Reid and John met at a company in 1970 . At that fourth dimension , John had released one album which had n’t really take hold of the public ’s tending . However , when he played Reid some of his euphony , the managing director can recall being blown away by his gift . He would n’t go on to bring off Elton John until 1973 , the brace did become romantically imply from 1970 to 1975 . Reid has described Elton as being his " first great lovemaking , " and state that it was mutual .
InRocketman , upshot are depicted much the same style , withthe pair meetingat a party and becoming lovers soon after ( the exact time frame is n’t clear ) . Reid narrate Elton he will look him up if he ’s in London , and he does . It is at that point that they start a relationship , and then he occupy over as Elton ’s managing director . In the movie , Reid encourages Elton to spend freely and frivolously ( determine to the fantasy musical act " Honky Cat " ) , with short to no sentiment of the result . Rocketmandepicts Reid as a scheming , red and unaffectionate somebody , who was both physically and emotionally abusive to Elton John during their time together .
It ’s unclear if Reid everwasviolent to Elton John in their family relationship ; however , ithas been notedthat they argued often , and Reid did attend a calendar month in jail in 1974 for punching a journalist . It is also unknown whether Reid was unfaithful , as is shown in the film , but it could be that esthetic permit play a part here , so as to to get Reid ’s personality traits across more effectively . Whatever the true statement to this part of the story , we do know that after Reid and John parted way in 1998 , they next met again in court , when Elton John sued his former director , impeach him of having slip millions of pound from him .
The case settled out of royal court , with Reid pay John the sum of £ 3.4 million . While none of these event are point inRocketman , we do see Reid be lavishly at the disbursal of John , and screaming at him that he ’ll " still be compile my 20 per centum " long after John is dead . Anotherimportant compass point in the relationshipthatRocketmanpoints to , is the nearness of Reid and Elton ’s female parent , Sheila . This closeness continued after Reid and John ’s romanticist relationship had end , and eventually led to Elton and his female parent becoming estranged for eight year . They did not reunify until 2016 , a year before her death . In an audience with theDaily Record , Reid take to being"unenthusiastic"when John suggested he become his handler , a Book of Job Reid would take on for near three decades .
During the five years they were together romantically , John produced several hit songs , including the famous " Candle in the air current , " a vocal that was repurposed and do live only once at the late Princess Diana ’s funeral armed service . During the years as John ’s manager , Reid is believed to have been incredibly indulgent . He maintains that hisrelationship with John endedbecause the vocalizer had never had a " intimate adolescence " and that he require to " play the field of operations . “Rocketmantakes aesthetic licence , and it ’s also significant to remember that John himself served as executive producer on the movie ( which he had been render to get made for a long fourth dimension ) , while his husband , David Furnish , is a manufacturer .
Reid has had no amour , but neither has he come frontwards to say anything in the movie is categorically untrue . In the flick , it is Elton John who is read to have job with a shopping addiction and drug , but Reid also battled the same monster . While Reid and John are no longer on utter terms , the music manager remembers him affectionately . However you search at it , though , as a whole movie , Rocketmanis more exact at picture true eventsas well as recreating melodious instant , whereasBohemian Rhapsodytook far more artistic license and focused more on the music of Queen than the veridical play behind the aspect .
John Reid and Queen
In 1975 , Queen were struggle to really hit the large fourth dimension , and they inscribe Reid as their manager . Under him , they made the album " A Night At The Opera , " but Reid think " Bohemian Rhapsody " was n’t commercial-grade enough to be a striking . as luck would have it , the band cut his advice and the residuum , as they say , is history . These events are documented well inBohemian Rhapsody , with Reid flirt by Aiden Gillen this time around . He state them the song is far too recollective ( at six arcminute ) , but of course , it became the most synonymous song associated with Queen .
Real - biography consequence disagree greatly from what is depicted inBohemian Rhapsodywhen it comes to Reid ’s management of Queen . InBohemian Rhapsody , Freddie Mercury ( played by Rami Malek)coldly fire Reid while the pair are on a car journeying . The foundation of the dismission is because he urged Freddie to take up a solo career , using Michael Jackson as an example of an creative person who ’s do better going solo than being in a radical . Freddie tells him to get out , which Reid does , and throws his shoe at the car in ira .
The reality , as with most event inBohemian Rhapsody , is very unlike . Reid was Queen ’s manager for three years , during which time he was in a kinship with Elton John . The band was savour a meteoricrise to fame , releasing hit after hit , including " Do n’t barricade Me Now , " " Somebody To Love , " " We Are The Champions , " and " We Will Rock You . " Both Reid and Roger Taylor speak well of their sentence together , with Queen and Reid parted way only amicably . Taylor did intimate , though , that part of the cause they moved on to other direction , was because Elton John was jealous , feeling " a minute threatened " by their succeeder .
Reid ’s whereabouts now are indecipherable ; he was last report as be in either Australia or England , but he ’s not number ahead to comment publicly on his portrayal in eitherBohemian RhapsodyorRocketman . It seems an odd choice forBohemian Rhapsodyto render Reid ’s departure from Queen in such an unpleasant fashion , when there really was no such animus , but again , dramatic license makes the movie a more interesting watch and depicting Reid ’s exit with such dash does precisely what it needs to do to elevate the band at the plaza of the narrative . Regardless , Reid is still shown more favourably inBohemian Rhapsodythan he is inRocketman , in all likelihood due to the fact that he was n’t as near to Queen as he was to Elton John . Unless Reid opt to go on record with his own version of result , we can only draw the conclusion that we ’ll never really know the genuine nature of the man , but we can at least give him credit for managing two of the biggest acts of all time .
NEXT : Bohemian Rhapsody ’s straight Story : Everything The Inaccurate Queen Movie Changed
