'Back to Black': Amy Winehouse's story of triumph and tragedy

They tried to make Amy Winehouse go to rehab, but then, as the song goes, she said, “No, no, no,” and her life was cut tragically short: One of the most soulful voices of the 21rst century was silenced at age 27 in 2011, after she struggled with substance abuse problems for years. Her life and talent have inspired the biopic named after one of her biggest hits, Back to Black, which opened in Israel on April 11. 

Winehouse, who came from a British Jewish family, made an indelible mark on the music scene, mixing rhythm and blues, jazz, and soul to create a sound that was all her own, and co-wrote most of her hits. In addition to the iconic tunes, “Back to Black” and “Rehab,” she was known for such songs as “Valerie,” “Tears Dry on Their Own,” and “You Know I’m No Good.” 

Her Back to Black album won five Grammys, the first time a British female artist achieved this feat, and it became one of the top-selling albums in UK history. She performed with some of the all-time greats, including the Rolling Stones and Tony Bennett. Her signature look, featuring a beehive hairdo and make-up and outfits inspired by 60s girl groups, set off a fashion craze.

But as her career skyrocketed, her personal life went into a downward spiral, as her brief marriage – to a man who has admitted to introducing Winehouse to heroin – ended, and she tried and failed to conquer her addictions. 

Combatting a downward spiral

Asif Kapadia’s 2015 documentary, Amy, suggested she continued performing when she desperately needed rest and treatment, and in her last years, she was often unfocused and incoherent when she took the stage. 

The production companies behind Back to Black said in a statement last year that the movie will highlight, “Amy’s extraordinary genius, creativity, and honesty that infused everything she did. A journey that took her from the craziness and color of ’90s Camden High Street to global adoration, and back again, Back to Black crashes through the looking glass of celebrity to watch this journey from behind the mirror, to see what Amy saw, to feel what she felt.”

It was a challenge finding an actress who could embody Winehouse’s outsize presence. Director Sam Taylor-Johnson, who is married to Aaron Taylor-Johnson, the Jewish actor who is reportedly about to be offered the role of James Bond, chose Marisa Abela, who is best known for her role in the BBC series, Industry, and who also appeared in the movie, Barbie. Like Winehouse, Abela is Jewish and a Londoner. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), she studied and trained for months to be able to portray Winehouse’s unique style. 

Director Taylor-Johnson, who directed the movie about John Lennon’s early life, Nowhere Boy, said in a statement quoted by Harper’s Bazaar that it was important to her to bring Winehouse’s life to the screen: “My connection to Amy began when I left college and was hanging out in the creatively diverse London borough of Camden. I got a job at the legendary KOKO Club, and I can still breathe every market stall, vintage shop, and street. I first saw her perform at a talent show at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in Soho and it was immediately obvious she wasn’t just ‘talent’... she was genius. As a filmmaker, you can’t really ask for more.

“I feel excited and humbled to have this opportunity to realize Amy’s beautifully unique and tragic story to cinema, accompanied by the most important part of her legacy – her music. I am fully aware of the responsibility, and with my writing collaborator – Matt Greenhalgh – I will create a movie that we will all love and cherish forever. Just like we do Amy.”

Based on the trailer, it seems Back to Black concentrates on Winehouse’s triumphs and achievements. 

“I want people to hear my voice and just forget their troubles for five minutes,” she says, as she plays guitar in her room. 

Winehouse goes on to speak about her need to live the emotions she expresses in her songs, explaining, “I don’t write songs to be famous. I write songs ’cause I’ve got to make somethin’ good out of somethin’ bad.”