“The Beatles: Get Back” Review

(From Left) Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon and George Harrison work on their new project in Apple Studios in “The Beatles: Get Back” which chronicles a month in the life of the band.

The Beatles are the greatest band of all time. Objectively, that’s a fact. Regardless of whether you like them or not, the Fab Four did more for music in the 10 years they were together than most musicians will ever accomplish in their entire lives. I own their records, love their movies (espeically “Yellow Submarine” and “A Hard Day’s Night”) and play their songs on guitar to relax. 

When I found out that Peter Jackson would be creating a documentary centered on the band, I was incredibly disappointed when, like many 2020 films, it was pushed back to 2021. However, this was actually a blessing in disguise when Disney+ picked up the film and Peter Jackson expanded it into a three-part series running nearly eight hours. After waiting for so long, I was ecstatic to find out that “The Beatles: Get Back” is easily one of the most intimate looks at an artist ever made and offers a unique insight into The Beatles and their wonderful music.

It’s January 1969. The Beatles haven’t performed live since 1966. Brian Epstein, their beloved manager, tragically died in 1967. They have become even more experimental, crafting “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” in 1967 and “The Beatles (The White Album)” in 1968. Now, with a month before drummer Ringo Starr is set to star in a film with Peter Sellers, The Beatles have decided to work on some new songs, create a live LP and perform a live show of sorts with all of it being recorded by a documentary crew. 

What the crew recorded eventually became the 1970 film “Let It Be” and the music would be compiled into a soundtrack album of the same name, released after The Beatles broke up. The “Get Back” sessions have largely become mythical with Beatles fans believing the time to be filled with animosity between the band and the film “Let It Be” not being released on modern home media in decades. The most fans have seen of this footage is old, hard to find bootcut copies of the original film or the music video for “Don’t Let Me Down,” which was the only widely available footage of the famous “Rooftop Concert.”

(Left) Billy Preston was invited by George Harrison to watch the sessions and wound up becoming a temporary part of the band. His piano work became a staple of the songs from the “Get Back” sessions including “Don’t Let Me Down” and “Let It Be.”

But what Peter Jackson uncovered from over 100 hours of audio and over 57 hours of footage was how much love and joy was present during these sessions. What was thought of as a failure has wound up to be something quite special. In fact, pretty much every preconception of the film fans had was completely wrong. There were no fights. No blow-ups. And no, Yoko Ono isn’t the reason the band broke up. Anyone who continues to believe that needs to stop breathing. 

There are a lot of Beatles films including the fictional films starring the band like “A Hard Day’s Night,” “Help!” and “Yellow Submarine” as well as several good documentaries like “Beatles Anthology,” “George Harrison: Living in a Material World” and “Eight Days a Week: The Touring Years.” But what all of those films lack is a sense of intimacy which is exactly what “The Beatles: Get Back” has. Because Jackson has all of these hours of footage (originally directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg), getting any interviews and creating it like a standard documentary would only hurt the film. 

The entire film is dedicated to the creative process of songwriting as we see The Beatles come up with, embellish and finalize so many iconic songs. Since the footage was shot in January of 1969, songs from both Let It Be and Abbey Road (which would be recorded later in 1969) appear in various stages in the film including “Get Back,” “The Long and Winding Road,” “Something,” “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” and “Oh Darling!” Seeing these songs come together is absolutely wonderful and will, no doubt, be a massive draw for fans of The Beatles. 

Seeing how the Beatles worked together is unbelievable as all four of them bring their unique skills to the table as some of the greatest musicians of all time. While I obviously have my favorite Beatle (George), it’s great seeing the whole unit together over 50 years after the group’s dissolution. Not only do the four take center stage, other people in their entourage make memorable appearances including their longtime music producer George Martin, producer Glyn Johns and musician Billy Preston. 

The Beatles’ rooftop concert has become a mythic event with very little footage being seen of it. However, the event in its entirety became the climax of “The Beatles: Get Back.”

The Beatles’ families also make substantial appearances with Linda McCartney taking photos of the group and Yoko Ono sitting by John Lennon’s side and helping the band with equipment. Even Paul’s adopted, then six-year-old daughter Heather played some drums with Ringo. Does this mean she could join the list of people considered the fifth Beatle?

While they’re making some of the greatest songs of all time, there’s also a lot of goofing off with the Beatles playing other people’s songs for fun (namely Bob Dylan, Chuck Berry and Carl Perkins). They dance, they joke, they reference their past songs. There’s so much love in this group of people that it’s infectious.

However, there’s also a bit of drama, mainly when George Harrison leaves the band for a few days and then comes back. This period of the film reminds you of the inevitable. The band is going to drift apart and break up. One scene where John Lennon and Paul McCartney discuss the future all but cements this. However, there’s still a sense of brotherhood among them which is uplifting. 

One criticism “The Beatles: Get Back” has received it how long it is. While the film is Incredibly long, that’s the point. The film is meant to showcase what it’s like to be involved in a recording session with the group and I felt like I was there the whole time. The runtime may be nearly eight hours but there’s never a dull moment. Part of this is on the brilliant editing but one can’t deny the sheer magnetism of The Beatles. 

While this is Jackson’s finest film since “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, the original footage by Michael Lindsay-Hogg is visually stunning. With Jackson and his team doing impeccable restoration, all of this 16mm film looks better than some modern film stock or even digital photography. The restoration, editing and sound mixing all come to wonderful climax when Jackson shows the entire Rooftop Concert. With ten cameras (five on the roof, one across the street, one in the offices of Apple Corps and three on the street interviewing people), this is some of the finest camerawork for a concert I’ve ever seen, rivaling “Woodstock,” “The Song Remains The Same” and “The Last Waltz.”

While Disney+ is generally known for PG-13 content, I have a massive amount of respect for Peter Jackson for pressuring Disney to let him keep the swear words in the film. I wouldn’t consider the film explicit, but it’s safe to say an occasional use of the work fuck would get the film an R rating.

I am generally accepting of most opinions, but I can’t abide whenever someone says “I don’t like The Beatles.” There has to be at least one song that speaks to you. What made the band so good was how four incredibly skilled musicians came together and made great songs to the very end. “The Beatles: Get Back” is an amazing tribute to this wonderful group and will stand on its own for being so personal and immersive compared to other, more objective Beatles films.