brendan2's Full Review: Beatles - A Hard Day's Night
In 1964, The Beatles were phenomenally popular, so United Artists wanted to quickly film and release a movie starring the group. In order to cut back on costs for the movie, it was filmed in black-and-white instead of color. The studio didn't really care what the movie was about as long as there were enough new Beatles songs for a soundtrack album. When filming began in March 1964, there was not even a title for the movie. Eventually, Ringo Starr inadvertently came up with the title by using the phrase, "a hard day's night," to describe a particularly trying day.
Ironically, A Hard Day's Night would go on to become a huge success around the world. Of course, the teen girls the movie was aimed at loved it. But so did the critics, and the film opened to glowing reviews. It earned millions of dollars at the box office, and today college film classes study its genius.
The soundtrack to this movie was the first Beatles album to feature all John Lennon/Paul McCartney compositions. Because John and Paul had not seen the script when they began writing songs, they just wrote whatever they wanted and the songs were placed into the film later. This doesn't really matter because all of the songs are so great.
In the film, John, Paul, George and Ringo are preparing for a television appearance. Between rehearsing for the show and eluding screaming fans, the boys also try to have a little fun. That's about it for the plot. But the plot isn't what makes this movie such fun. Having been born years after The Beatles broke up, I never got to see them do anything besides perform some songs. With this film, you get to see them goofing off and having a good time.
Of course, the main focus of the film is on The Beatles themselves, but there are some other important characters. First off, there is Paul's grandfather, who is not really his grandfather in real life but is instead actor Wilfrid Brambell. He "hates group unity" and is always trying to stir up trouble. Norm (Norman Rossington) and Shake (John Junkin) are, I guess, supposed to represent The Beatles' road managers. Norm tries to get the boys to act serious and behave. Then there is the director of the show the group is appearing on (Victor Spinetti), who always seems to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
The film begins with a fast-paced sequence of the boys running down the streets, trying to elude their fans and catch their train on time. Right near the beginning of this scene, George trips and falls to the ground, then Ringo goes down with him. This was not in the script, but since they got up and kept running, it was left in. I'm happy it was left in the final cut because it is hilarious to see.
So the guys finally get their train and have to deal with an obnoxious man, Paul's annoying grandfather, and other trying situations. Paul's grandfather gets locked up with the animals on the train, but luckily Paul, John, George and Ringo come to join him. "Let's do something then," John declares, so the boys begin playing cards. Suddenly, we see John playing a harmonica and singing "I Should Have Known Better." The other group members all have their instruments with no explanation. Then when the song is over, they are just playing cards again, with no explanation. I thought that was really weird, but funny.
Other songs in this film include "If I Fell," which John sings to cheer up Ringo; "And I Love Her," which Paul sings in rehearsal; and "I'm Happy Just To Dance With You," which George sings after John screams a little too excitedly, "Why don't we do the show right here? Yeah!" Then there is the television performance, where they perform "Tell Me Why" and "She Loves You." Of course, the title track appears, and "Can't Buy Me Love" is used twice. Also, some songs play while the boys are out clubbing: "I Wanna Be Your Man," which features Ringo singing lead; "Don't Bother Me," which is George; and "All My Loving," a song by Paul. I highly recommend picking up the soundtrack to this movie, which includes all the songs they perform (except "She Loves You") plus others.
The writing for this movie is fantastic. Even though there is not much of a plot, the film is consistently funny. Alun Owen's screenplay was even nominated for an Academy Award. Richard Lester's direction is perfectly suited for the film. Things move at a frantic pace, and there is a really fun overhead shot of the boys playing around in a field. Lester used some innovative techniques, like viewing the action through the screens in the television theatre, which were unheard of at the time. It has been said that this movie was the basis for MTV and music videos.
But don't think the film is just one long music video; it is much more than that. We get an opportunity to see The Beatles in a less serious mode, having fun together, answering annoying questions from stupid reporters, and so on. Each Beatle gets his own little story, too, except for Paul. I guess his story was having a grandfather. All of the boys deliver their lines convincingly, and at times you wonder if they are acting or ad-libbing because it sounds so natural. I thought John was the most suited for the camera, but the other three boys are great too. Oh, and George's future wife Pattie Boyd has a few scenes on the train at the beginning. She doesn't make much of an impact with her one line, but it is still cool that she was there.
I don't want to say too much more about the movie because then I will spoil it for those of you who haven't seen it. So I'll just say that A Hard Day's Night is a hilarious "mockumentary" about 48 hours in the lives of The Beatles at the height of Beatlemania. I think it is really cool that people who weren't alive or were too young then to know The Beatles can watch this fantastic film and see them. And there is really no objectionable content; the film is suitable for all ages. Although John's written response to a female reporter when she asks what his hobbies are is a little inappropriate. ;)
Rated G
About The DVD
First off, the film has been restored so the picture and sound are crisp and clear. I didn't notice any problems throughout. The "Collector's Series" edition from Miramax includes a promotional special on the first disc in addition to the film. Then there is a whole second disc of bonus features, including interviews with the filmmakers, the cast, the production crew, and so on. Not a single interview with a single Beatle, though, which is a disappointment. The film is in widescreen, and you can view it in English or French. DVD-Rom features include a film scrapbook, a screenplay viewer, a website archive and more. These are some nice features, but I would have liked to see some interviews with the remaining Beatles. But it's worth buying just to see the movie because it's so awesome.
Recommended:
Yes
Viewing Format: DVD Video Occasion: Good for Groups
In 1964, The Beatles had just recently exploded onto the American scene with their debut on The Ed Sullivan Show. The group s first feature film, A Ha...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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