Greetings again from the darkness. It’s the 50th anniversary and what a treat to see the re-mastered, restored film in a crowded theatre – many wearing their Beatles shirts. The quasi-documentary, cinema verite’ approach from director Richard Lester may not fit the traditional idea of a great movie, but at a minimum, it’s a fantastic pop culture artifact showing a world on the verge of change (and four of those partially responsible).
The Beatles first film shows them at the most innocent and fresh-faced we ever see them … it’s just a few months after their appearance on “the Ed Sullivan Show”. John Lennon is the most guarded, but his quick wit and distrust of the establishment are obvious. Paul McCartney is at his cutest and least arrogant, but still managing to pose on cue. George Harrison comes across most open and full of joy – before he became the most publicly withdrawn. Ringo Starr is self-deprecating and in full hang-dog mode.
For a stark contrast, watch the four lads a year later in HELP!, also directed by Mr. Lester. The luster of fame is clearly tarnished and they are quite aware of the power they wield. In contrast, during this shoot, we are almost “on set” as the boys are first experiencing Beatlemania! In addition to the Fab Four, British actor Wilfrid Brambill plays Paul’s Grandfather. The recurring gag of him being “very clean” is a play on Brambill’s long-running role as Albert Steptoe in “Steptoe & Son” where he is referred to as “a dirty old man“. Victor Spinetti plays the very anxious TV director wearing the infamous sweater. Mr. Spinetti also appeared in HELP! (1965) and The Magical Mystery Tour (1967). Richard Vernon played the grumpy old man sharing the train car with the boys. Mr. Vernon also appeared in Goldfinger that same year. Another James Bond link occurs when Ringo is invited to the Le Cercle Club … the same club James Bond first appears in Dr. No (1962). Lastly, Pattie Boyd is one of the giggly schoolgirls on the train and appears in 3 different scenes. 18 months later, she was married to George Harrison … and a few years later, she reiterated her attraction to lead guitarists by marrying Eric Clapton.
I was caught off guard by the frenetic pace of the film … it has been 3 decades since I last watched it. But mostly, I was stunned at the clean look of this restored version and was awed by the terrific sound, especially of the song restorations completed by Giles Martin, the son of Beatles record producer Sir George Martin … who was nominated for an Academy Award for his film score.
The film inspired the 1960’s TV show “The Monkees“, and of course, the soundtrack was a massive best seller and chart topper. “If I Fell” is one of my favorite Beatles songs and it’s a nice segment in the film, but the real climax is the performance of “She Loves You”, replete with terrific crowd shots. The impact and lasting impression of the film is every bit as recognizable as that stunning opening chord to the title track that opens the film.
watch the (new) trailer:
Posted by David Ferguson 
Movie Reviews from the Dark 