Amy’s Back to Black: Let the dead rest in peace

Back to Black, a biopic about the tragic life of Amy Winehouse comes to cinemas in the UK on April 12th. It is directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and stars Marisa Abela as Winehouse. On the film’s promotional posters, it promises to celebrate her “Her Music. Her Life. Her Legacy.” but given the part that media intrusion played in her short life, it feels disrespectful and certainly not something the late singer would have wanted.

Inspired by artists like Aretha Franklin and The Ronettes, Winehouse secured her spot as a modern jazz legend with songs such as ‘Rehab’ and ‘Back to Black’. Before her untimely death, she released two albums Frank and Back to Black, with the latter receiving five Grammy awards. She poured her heart and soul into her music, winning over ours in the process. According to Winehouse herself, “Every bad situation is a blues song waiting to happen” which was evident in her more personal tracks, like ‘Back to Black’ which was allegedly written about her breakup with partner Blake Fielder-Civil.

However, like the rest of us, Winehouse was not without flaws. She told The Irish Times in December 2006 “I’m a very self-destructive person”, referencing her struggles with drug and substance abuse, as sung about in ‘Rehab’. Her battles with addiction were regularly documented by the press, who published photos of her wandering the streets of London barefoot after a night out. In 2008, The Sun published images of her smoking from a glass pipe with the headline “Amy Winehouse on crack”. While she was able to stop using drugs, her alcohol use proved difficult to give up and on July 23rd 2011, Winehouse was found dead in her home from alcohol poisoning. She was just 27 years old.

Fast forward thirteen years to 2024 and Winehouse’s painful life is being exploited again to entertain the public. A documentary has already been made about Winehouse’s life (Amy was released in 2015) but now we are getting a biopic too. While Back to Black has been made with the support of Winehouse’s family, this brings little comfort. Many have claimed that her father, Mitch Winehouse, also played a part in exploiting the singer by forcing her to perform even though she was struggling mentally and physically from addiction. Meanwhile, Taylor-Johnson alleges she was friends with Winehouse when they both lived in Camden, which makes her decision to direct the film baffling. Call me old fashioned, but I don’t think a friend would capitalise on another friend’s painful life. And now, in a depressing cycle, the same tabloids that tormented Winehouse when she was clearly suffering will soon be reporting on her biopic.

Like many young stars, the press failed Winehouse. Actor and activist Jameela Jamil has documented the trajectory of a young woman in the media’s eye. She argues that these women are put on a pedestal and praised by the media, until they show any signs of flaws or imperfections, at which point they are ruthlessly torn down in an intrusive press campaign. It has happened to most highly-successful female artists out there and in the case of Winehouse, it ended tragically.

But it doesn’t stop once they are dead, unfortunately, it seems that dead celebrities are equal prey to the press. In a strange twist of fate, the same tabloids that vilified these women, worship them when they die. I’m not just talking about Winehouse either as we have also seen this happen with Princess Diana and Marilyn Monroe. Both women were tormented by the press towards the end of their lives but have posthumously been placed back on the pedestal, with Spencer and Blonde being made to entertain the public with tales from their short lives.

Why do we torture successful women when they are alive then worship them once they are dead? Like most things, the answer lies with the patriarchy. Our patriarchal society worships these women because once they are dead, they are frozen in time. They can no longer do anything that harms their reputation in the eyes of the patriarchy. In short, they are the patriarchy’s ultimate obedient woman.

We are always told to respect the dead but Back to Black does the opposite. It is the greatest injustice to Winehouse, a legend whose life was cut short in part due to press invasion. And now it is about to happen all over again. Would you enjoy seeing your lowest points in life- your heartbreaks, your struggles with substance abuse- played on cinema screens across the nation? I didn’t think so. Now imagine that someone did it anyway, without your permission. Of course, some will say that the film is a continuation of her legacy and will showcase her music to a new generation. But we can continue her legacy by listening to her music (I listen to ‘Stronger Than Me’ almost daily) and by ensuring that young stars today are protected from the suffering that she endured.

Let Amy rest in peace, it’s what she deserves.