The Beatles: Get Back

One of the things about being a Beatles fan since the Ed Sullivan show was that it was fun to watch them do ANYTHING. We weren't inundated with celebrity footage like we are now, so even getting to watch them boil an egg was wonderful. I still feel that way.

One thing about this film: the Beatles just jamming is better than about half the music ever.

And even with any bickering, you can tell how much fun they had playing together.

It makes me sad all over again about John's life being cut so short.

A historical treasure, masterpiece, call it what you will. All I know is that this will be admired not for years, but for centuries. Watching these compositions being created is truly staggering.

Perfect , masterful , and the best way to spend thanksgiving. Every Beatles fan should watch this ! It's so clear, it's liked they filmed it today . Masters are work and it feels like you're in the room with them.

I don't even know where to start. I subscribed to Disney+ just for this and it is a masterpiece. I've seen the "Let It Be" documentary (everybody knows the historic Paul and George argument and "I'll play anything you want me to play") but this is way beyond that. I related to every single rehearsal scene (from my experiences) and connected mostly with Paul (I don't want to be the leader and songwriter but someone has to do it). But oh Lord I wish I was Lennon. I knew he was hilarious but I had no idea he was the most hilarious human on the planet. (And a great soulful writer and singer, but we already knew that). There are scenes where Paul is trying to get the others to pay attention to some of his greatest songs in creation like Long and Winding Road, Get Back, and Let It Be...and no one cares. Until they do. And it's a really deep dive into the creative process and mumbling nonsense lyrics and playing total garbage until it all comes together. And drunken debauchery (along with other substances) until you have masterpiece level music. And I haven't even mentioned Linda's soulful eyes and camerawork, Ringo's sad silence before he's drawn into the songs, George's classic songs (like All Things Must Pass) that never made the record, the bizarre goofy blues jams, and Yoko. But I've already said too much. Just watch it.

On May 13, 1970, in Redondo Beach, California, I stuffed a VW bus with my closest musician friends and drove to Hollywood to see the midnight premier showing of The Beatles: Let It Be. Like many musicians who were professionally involved in the swiftly emerging music industry in the 60s and 70s, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr had helped to shape and define not only the rock and roll we performed, but also how we socially and culturally defined ourselves in the massive Counterculture Movement.

After screening the film, we drove back home in deafening silence. It was as if a global blackout had occurred, and when it was over, the music industry landscape had been transformed into a yawning, empty hole, one which would not begin to be filled in for another 51 years. It was true, there was little to say. We had just witnessed the depressing breakup of the world's greatest pop band, and the stunning finality of it all had been dutifully documented in Let It Be. To quote John Lennon: "The dream was over."

But thanks to director extraordinaire Peter Jackson, and the release of The Beatles: Get Back, the painful wound I thought would never heal was suddenly cleansed, dressed, stitched and repaired. The empty hole left by the original film began to fill in as the first few scenes of Get Back rolled across the television screen. Instead of mourning the demise of this iconic group, I found myself with a renewed sense of celebration, even relief, with the updated knowledge that the Beatles hadn't necessarily "gone down in flames" but rather, were subconsciously beginning the process of launching their solo careers, each of which would flourish for many years following their official breakup.

Most IMDb fans already know the full story behind Let It Be (1970) and The Beatles: Get Back (2021) so there is no need to duplicate descriptions and comparisons. In both films, it is still the music that efficiently carries the storyline as well as the strong creative processes the Beatles possessed when building new songs in the recording studio.

Peter Jackson's "retelling" allowed me to enjoy the film for what it was always meant to be: An upbeat and beautiful documentary best described by Greek philosopher Aristotle's timeless phrase, "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts."

No spoilers here as usual but I will reveal that the process of selecting and restoring the material for the film took New Zealander Peter Jackson a grueling four years.