The Beatles Documentary
Documentary
Documentary
Documentary
Well, let me say the sinful part first — I am not a huge Beatles fan, and I like them; I don't live and breathe them.
And let's get this out of the way, too — holy crap, they all looked high af!
I like them and, as a music fan, am in awe of their talent and the scope of music that they created, but like? Sure some, perhaps a lot, of their stuff, but the idea of sitting through the Peter Jackson documentary held minimal appeal (I'll give you a second to pick your jaw off the floor.)
But, I have to be honest, after investing the 100 hours in watching The Beatles: Get Back on Paramount+, I like them a little more.
My entire life, the rumor mill churned out a bunch of shit about how they hated each other and couldn't stand to be around one another towards the end. I saw absolutely no evidence of that—quite the opposite. I watched four guys having fun trying to figure out what they would do.
Of course, there was creative tension, but never once did I perceive any dislike towards one another — even when George quit the band.
The Yoko thing — again, the whole thing about Yoko breaking up The Beatles seems, to me, to be another falsehood. I admit that seeing her glued to John's side was a little strange; however, they explained it. She and John were doing some cultist thing where you spend every moment by your lovers' side. I dunno, but they do explain it.
I’ve been madly in love before and had a couple of very deep and real connections… but Jaysus, spending every waking moment by their side sounds horrible. No matter how chemically diluted I am.
There is another scene where John and Paul go into the cafeteria to talk about George's departure, not knowing the crew had bugged the room. In their exchange, you can hear the tension, and you can also hear how both clearly understood their role in the band. Paul refers to John as "the leader," and John tells Paul he arranges everything to death (or something like that.) That isn't surprising, but it is surprising to hear how aware they were.
Another highlight was watching "Get Back" build up from noodling to the song we all know.
Oh, and it would be a mistake NOT to mention precisely how much Billy Preston brought to the sessions. I mean, the songs were good, but Preston added a texture and depth that they never could've gotten by themselves.
Five monolithic talents creating music magic and bearing witness to that 50 years later is awe-inspiring. I have to wonder if those in the room felt the same. I think the band themselves understood by then just how important they were, but they don't look like they were assholes about it.
BUT, this is a film… and even though it clocks in at around 200 hours, it is edited a certain way to tell a specific story. And mad props to Peter Jackson and his team for piecing together something coherent.
Depending on your love of the band, you may need to wear adult diapers. Me? I was okay getting up to go to the bathroom — but have you ever met a die-hard Beatles fan? I have, and they can get as granular as to the type of strings Paul had on his Rickenbacker when they recorded "Get Back" — what's the over/under someone leaves a comment that Paul didn't play his Rickenbacker on that song? I honestly don't know.
I can recommend this movie to music fans and fans of The Beatles; for everyone else, I dunno. It's good, excellent, but it's a bit like watching paint dry. You may find it interesting if you've ever collaborated on something creative. It's often a lot of talking, negotiating, and a shit ton of dull spaces in between the "magic."
Years ago, I had a friend who wanted to be an actor. After he got a job as an extra in something, he came back and said: "All we did was sit around all day." "What did you expect?"
"Not that."
He discovered this after he had tattooed the theater masks on his leg. Suffice it to say, that one day as an extra ended his acting career.
In any event, The Beatles: Get Back didn't do much to change my view on them. But I will cop to getting goosebumps, and there were a few teary moments in there — I mean, it's The Beatles, and they are one of the four B's in music history — Beethoven, Bach, Brahms, and Beatles.
So, if you meet some of these criteria, I suggest you watch it:
You're a fan of The Beatles.
You're a bit of a music nerd.
You like documentaries.
You like documentaries about music.
You've got 300 hours to spare.