To take all of this footage and make something so compelling and human is a great feat! I have looked forward to something so comprehensive as this for my entire life and never thought it would happen. Today is a great day!
20 Reviews
With The Beatles
Lejink30 November 2021
Probably like many other long-standing Beatles fans, I have been patiently awaiting the release of Peter Jackson's "Get Back" three-part feature-length films ever since the appearance earlier this year of the two teaser trailers. All three episodes are well over two and a half hours in length so I decided to take them one at a time rather than attempt some mad all-dayer.
This first instalment started with a brief retrospective of the band's history up until the beginning of this latest project, a fly-on-the-wall filmed rehearsal and recording of a new Beatles album, to culminate in a live concert, the group's first in three years. All this has to be achieved within three weeks in January 1969. Filmed in the cavernous Twickenham Studios, we see the band roll in after the festive holiday to start what turned out to be a distinctly bumpy process, first immortalised in original director Michael Lindsay-Hogg's 1970 "Let It Be" which was considered a downbeat, if not downright negative depiction of what occurred during the sessions. Peter Jackson had already said in advance that his version of events would be more balanced and upbeat.
Jackson takes the three-week recording schedule and breaks it into a week-by-week journey to the planned concert conclusion. This first show seems to be from the period from which Lindsay-Hogg garnered most of his negative material, as we see the group failing to agree on where to do the show, McCartney nagging and niggling Harrison on how to play his guitar and finally Harrison walking out on the sessions, declaring he's left the band.
Occasionally difficult as scenes like these were to watch, there was still much to savour. There are many occasions where the band, after an admittedly slow start as they use the first two days for rehearsals, gradually get it together and start to gel like we know they can. It's immediately obvious to observe that Lennon is smitten by his new love Yoko, who gets to sit right next to him while he sings and plays his guitar. He's clearly light on songs too, compared to Harrison and particularly McCartney and with him no longer the group-leader of the early years, it's McCartney who has stepped up to try to motivate his band-mates into action. He brings a fine batch of new songs to the table at one point straight-out asking Lennon where his new material is. Harrison auditions three freshly-minted numbers while Starr the sideman but generally moderating influence patiently awaits his turn to play In the wings.
I was fascinated from start to finish, feeling I was in the presence of greatness throughout. No, these weren't the happiest of sessions, not helped by the empty atmosphere of the surroundings but I marvelled at the way McCartney just unfurled his superb batch of songs and it was especially thrilling to see him knock-up "Get Back" from airy nothing. Lennon functions almost as a side-man apart from working up his own brilliant "Don't Let Me Down", while you can see the normally equable Harrison, his two blissed-out Hare Krishna chums sitting in behind him, become gradually worn down by McCartney's over-zealous instructions. Ringo probably comes off best as the group anchor with no agenda of his own at least in the songwriting stakes.
Wonderfully vivid, endlessly fascinating and with flashes of musical brilliance, it's a feast for a diehard fan like me. Can't wait for the second and third instalments.
This first instalment started with a brief retrospective of the band's history up until the beginning of this latest project, a fly-on-the-wall filmed rehearsal and recording of a new Beatles album, to culminate in a live concert, the group's first in three years. All this has to be achieved within three weeks in January 1969. Filmed in the cavernous Twickenham Studios, we see the band roll in after the festive holiday to start what turned out to be a distinctly bumpy process, first immortalised in original director Michael Lindsay-Hogg's 1970 "Let It Be" which was considered a downbeat, if not downright negative depiction of what occurred during the sessions. Peter Jackson had already said in advance that his version of events would be more balanced and upbeat.
Jackson takes the three-week recording schedule and breaks it into a week-by-week journey to the planned concert conclusion. This first show seems to be from the period from which Lindsay-Hogg garnered most of his negative material, as we see the group failing to agree on where to do the show, McCartney nagging and niggling Harrison on how to play his guitar and finally Harrison walking out on the sessions, declaring he's left the band.
Occasionally difficult as scenes like these were to watch, there was still much to savour. There are many occasions where the band, after an admittedly slow start as they use the first two days for rehearsals, gradually get it together and start to gel like we know they can. It's immediately obvious to observe that Lennon is smitten by his new love Yoko, who gets to sit right next to him while he sings and plays his guitar. He's clearly light on songs too, compared to Harrison and particularly McCartney and with him no longer the group-leader of the early years, it's McCartney who has stepped up to try to motivate his band-mates into action. He brings a fine batch of new songs to the table at one point straight-out asking Lennon where his new material is. Harrison auditions three freshly-minted numbers while Starr the sideman but generally moderating influence patiently awaits his turn to play In the wings.
I was fascinated from start to finish, feeling I was in the presence of greatness throughout. No, these weren't the happiest of sessions, not helped by the empty atmosphere of the surroundings but I marvelled at the way McCartney just unfurled his superb batch of songs and it was especially thrilling to see him knock-up "Get Back" from airy nothing. Lennon functions almost as a side-man apart from working up his own brilliant "Don't Let Me Down", while you can see the normally equable Harrison, his two blissed-out Hare Krishna chums sitting in behind him, become gradually worn down by McCartney's over-zealous instructions. Ringo probably comes off best as the group anchor with no agenda of his own at least in the songwriting stakes.
Wonderfully vivid, endlessly fascinating and with flashes of musical brilliance, it's a feast for a diehard fan like me. Can't wait for the second and third instalments.
Intimate and Vital
Michael-Rabdau-958-69152727 November 2021
A masterpiece worthy of multiple viewings. There's so much to absorb, it is impossible to gather it all in at one sitting. And then there's the sustained closeups that speak volumes, one of the most notable is ten minutes into episode 2, of Paul as he's sitting back in thought, and you see his eyes welling and it is so overwhelmingly emotional, I had to pause the film. Ringo is like a silent film actor, wearing the whole sessions on his sleeve. The tension that builds in episode 1, culminating with George quitting, John and Yoko's inseparability, the clowning around and playfulness of their approach to the songs, then the analytical fine tuning of the songs that spill like magic from a bottle. There's so much love and admiration for each other throughout the film, but then there's also the melancholic finality of knowing "the dream is over.."
Stunning
andymclennan25 November 2021
The mini series kicks off with The Beatles preparing to put on a gig which is also being recorded for an album. At the same time a film crew documents the process.
Watching songs you've known and loved for decades taking shape for the very first time is a real privilege, this is a superb documentary.
Seeing Paul randomly strum his bass and hearing it gradually turn into an all-time classic is incredible.
The lack of a commentary adds to the "fly on the wall" feeling and it's all so natural.
The footage itself is astonishingly good quality, it feels like it was shot last week.
As for "The Boys", they're fascinating, entertaining and frequently funny to watch.
Jackson has created a masterpiece here, I can't wait for part two.
Brilliant stuff.
Watching songs you've known and loved for decades taking shape for the very first time is a real privilege, this is a superb documentary.
Seeing Paul randomly strum his bass and hearing it gradually turn into an all-time classic is incredible.
The lack of a commentary adds to the "fly on the wall" feeling and it's all so natural.
The footage itself is astonishingly good quality, it feels like it was shot last week.
As for "The Boys", they're fascinating, entertaining and frequently funny to watch.
Jackson has created a masterpiece here, I can't wait for part two.
Brilliant stuff.
"We gotta have some serious reason for doing this, or we won't" - Paul McCartney
classicsoncall26 November 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I would consider myself as big a Beatles fan as the next person, so I guess I wasn't prepared for what this documentary turned out to be. I wasn't expecting a rehash of Beatles history because there's plenty enough of that in both recorded and written form, and even the brief eleven minute recap offered at the beginning of Part One here didn't seem all that necessary. What we have in this two and a half hour opener to the three part series is a bird's eye view of the Fab Four in the process of creating an album on demand with only fourteen days to come up with an equal number of songs, along with a proposed 'one last time' live concert for their legion of fans.
I can understand how die-hard Beatles fans would find this a gripping experience, but my own reaction was one of finding it somewhat of a chore to sit through. Without their celebrity as world renowned pop music stars, this is no more than watching four musicians at work coming up with lyrics and music while under the gun to get the project done. There IS the fascination of finally understanding some of the tension that existed among the group after being together almost thirteen years at this point, much of it disproportionately attributed to the presence of Yoko Ono and even Linda Eastman. It was a little jarring to see and hear Paul McCartney take command of the quartet the way he did, and admonishing his fellow musicians for not contributing. Particularly when George Harrison made frequent suggestions, which then devolved into semantics about the way Paul and George were annoying each other. This on top of the references made to the problems among the group over the prior eighteen months.
Not everything here was boring or old hat information. I did get a kick out of Paul's reworking the song 'Get Back' to reflect British politicians' stance on anti-immigration in the late Sixties. It seemed like he was coming up with those clever lyrics off the cuff. What I found rather bizarre, and something I never heard of before, was Michael Lindsay-Hogg's determination to have the Beatles' final live performance filmed in a Libyan coastal town amid ancient ruins! How that would have appealed to Beatles fans I can't imagine. How it would have appealed to the Beatles I can't imagine either.
All of which contributed to what, if we already didn't know the history, would be a shocking cliff hanger ending with George announcing his leaving the band. This after seven days of working together with mixed results, with some of the new songs progressively sounding better and more polished over the course of the collaboration. If anything, I would have to credit director Peter Jackson for the intestinal fortitude of going through fifty six hours of unseen footage and one hundred fifty hours of unheard audio to come up with this documentary. If I found this a bit of a slog to get through, I can only imagine what he must have felt like deciding what to discard for the final product.
I fully expect to get overwhelmingly negged for this review, as it's been my experience that IMDb viewers vote more on whether they liked a project or not, rather than on the substance of a review for that project. That's fine. I can still be a Beatles fan without being enthralled by this documentary. I'll still watch the remaining two segments and be back to comment on those, seeing as how important this chapter was in the life and eventual dissolution of the Fab Four.
I can understand how die-hard Beatles fans would find this a gripping experience, but my own reaction was one of finding it somewhat of a chore to sit through. Without their celebrity as world renowned pop music stars, this is no more than watching four musicians at work coming up with lyrics and music while under the gun to get the project done. There IS the fascination of finally understanding some of the tension that existed among the group after being together almost thirteen years at this point, much of it disproportionately attributed to the presence of Yoko Ono and even Linda Eastman. It was a little jarring to see and hear Paul McCartney take command of the quartet the way he did, and admonishing his fellow musicians for not contributing. Particularly when George Harrison made frequent suggestions, which then devolved into semantics about the way Paul and George were annoying each other. This on top of the references made to the problems among the group over the prior eighteen months.
Not everything here was boring or old hat information. I did get a kick out of Paul's reworking the song 'Get Back' to reflect British politicians' stance on anti-immigration in the late Sixties. It seemed like he was coming up with those clever lyrics off the cuff. What I found rather bizarre, and something I never heard of before, was Michael Lindsay-Hogg's determination to have the Beatles' final live performance filmed in a Libyan coastal town amid ancient ruins! How that would have appealed to Beatles fans I can't imagine. How it would have appealed to the Beatles I can't imagine either.
All of which contributed to what, if we already didn't know the history, would be a shocking cliff hanger ending with George announcing his leaving the band. This after seven days of working together with mixed results, with some of the new songs progressively sounding better and more polished over the course of the collaboration. If anything, I would have to credit director Peter Jackson for the intestinal fortitude of going through fifty six hours of unseen footage and one hundred fifty hours of unheard audio to come up with this documentary. If I found this a bit of a slog to get through, I can only imagine what he must have felt like deciding what to discard for the final product.
I fully expect to get overwhelmingly negged for this review, as it's been my experience that IMDb viewers vote more on whether they liked a project or not, rather than on the substance of a review for that project. That's fine. I can still be a Beatles fan without being enthralled by this documentary. I'll still watch the remaining two segments and be back to comment on those, seeing as how important this chapter was in the life and eventual dissolution of the Fab Four.
Excellent
ross_shacklady25 November 2021
Excellent. Absolutely excellent. Fantastic decision to let Peter Jackson get at this. Fantastic decision by Peter to not do any post-mortem interviews. Let us make our minds up, no bias one way or another. And Paul just plucking Get Back out the air is just brilliant.
Some things about the Beatles are explained
jread-526 November 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This is a fascinating look at the Beatles' creative process. They seem to be just sitting around jamming, but slowly a familiar Beatles tune emerges. The mental telepathy between John Lennon and Paul McCartney is shown in action. It became clear why George Harrison wanted to leave: he was almost totally excluded from the process. At one point he says "Just tell me what to play. I'll play whatever you want." This was just before he walked out. Yoko Ono's role becomes evident as well: she sits practically on John's shoulder all the time. She must have been very annoying to the rest of the band.
In short, a fascinating look at the creative process in general. They had 14 days to come up with new tunes for a concert. All ideas are heard, even some really loony ones like wanting to hold the upcoming concert in Libya, or somewhere.
In short, a fascinating look at the creative process in general. They had 14 days to come up with new tunes for a concert. All ideas are heard, even some really loony ones like wanting to hold the upcoming concert in Libya, or somewhere.
The real truth is here
RealLiveClaude29 November 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Since "Let it Be" did confuse and deceive Beatles' fans around the world, this time, we know what happenned behind the curtains.
If "Let it Be" got us into the worst theories, well how come:
And of course, the birth of new Beatles classics. And interesting covers by the band itself...
The Fab Four wanted to come together, for one last time...
Great episode !
If "Let it Be" got us into the worst theories, well how come:
- George brought some Hindu friends over.
- Yoko was respectuous during the process next with John, and even went into the fun.
- The guys had fun until George went into a gloomy attitude in front of John and Paul.
- Ringo, though silent, waits patiently and even want to help out bringing George back.
And of course, the birth of new Beatles classics. And interesting covers by the band itself...
The Fab Four wanted to come together, for one last time...
Great episode !
Fascinating Stuff, PM was the Boss
polsixe26 November 2021
Not having seen the original this extended restored enhanced version was a treat. Seeing McCartney writing hits on the fly and bossing the other three about was educational. One scene had everyone tired and just staring at him almost in awe banging on the piano and talking about his ideas for the show. John comes off as a bit of lightweight jerk while Ringo and George were in way over their heads.
Maybe Too Much of a Good Thing, but That's Not Bad
coltsfan1828825 November 2021
I've seen (and liked) the original 1970 "Let It Be" film, and this 2021 updated take (in a way, a Snyder Cut in its own right) is a bit chaotic but still a fun look at how the greatest band of all-time. However, a lot of it is simply sitting around and riffing.
Knowing how history plays out, Episodes 2 and 3 (with the rooftop concert) will likely liven up. E1 (Days 1-7) acts as a microcosm of the first week of the sessions themselves: things are taking form, but it's still a bit messy.
Knowing how history plays out, Episodes 2 and 3 (with the rooftop concert) will likely liven up. E1 (Days 1-7) acts as a microcosm of the first week of the sessions themselves: things are taking form, but it's still a bit messy.
Sounds Can Touch
morgantanner31025 November 2021
I admit this is my first foray into a Beatles documentary, but the inclusion of the odd sequence where George Harrison is physically shocked by the feedback from the music is a masterful, allegorical addition to the docu. Perhaps even more than mere words, music can touch humanity in a way like nothing else can.
Interesting but not what I wanted
tobyshjones26 November 2021
I want to see an a-z documentary on the Beatles. The opening sequence charting their rise is great then suddenly your in a warehouse where it's a bit bitty and boring. Nice to see the Beatles in such glorious crisp colour but a bit slow to watch. I appreciate the effort and the fact it's from hours of footage but one has to ask if it's all necessary. Make a documentary charting their rise and fall and we'll have a more of an emotional journey to follow.
Its Been 3 Hours And Im Already Annoyed With Yoko Ono
mmarchetti-9651528 November 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This is tough to review because I think the creators did a good job with the footage that they had. That said the first episode is a bit redundant. It shows the creative process and gives insight into the dynamic of the group, but gets pretty repetitive. Obviously any unseen footage spliced together of the most popular band in the world is going to be received as good because people want to see it, but if you just look at the production as a whole on the first episode, it seems a bit lacking. Audio and video rarely align and its often tough to tell what's really going on.
Didn't Let Me Down
ekveland26 November 2021
Just finished Part I and what a stunning contrast it is to Let It Be (movie). It's vibrant, it's human, and it's ...definitely for Beatles die-hards who pour over the fly on the wall segments from the Anthologies and Let It Be ...naked. I can understand that two and a half hours (just for part 1 out of 3) sitting in with a band practising for a show that they have no idea if they even want to do is a lot.
But as one of those guys (who own several copies of every album and multiple box sets), - though also of the opinion that there's far too many Beatles documentaries - I am very very happy that this now exist. I fully understand the aversion to killing your darlings when it comes to this absolute treasure trove of previously unavailable and incredibly candid footage (and audio), but I think for most the planned theatrical cut will be quite enough.
But as one of those guys (who own several copies of every album and multiple box sets), - though also of the opinion that there's far too many Beatles documentaries - I am very very happy that this now exist. I fully understand the aversion to killing your darlings when it comes to this absolute treasure trove of previously unavailable and incredibly candid footage (and audio), but I think for most the planned theatrical cut will be quite enough.
90/100
fdmcintyre6 August 2022
Fascinating - even if you are not a fan of the beatles
johndavidson-112 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I'll confess straight up that my interest in the music of the beatles is passing and while I recognise its cultural significance I dont generally listen to their songs.
None the less this documentary offers interesting insights into the creative process of the artists and offers glimpses of the group dynamics at the time.
And the songs being created are (at least from time to time) iconic.
In some was it plays like a love triangle between Paul, John and George.
Ringo sits behind his drum kit, above and beyond the internal politics of the song writers .
Paul is frustrated by John's lack of commitment, George tries to offer ideas but is casually dismissed by Paul .
John is more interested in smooching with Yoko than in writing new songs.
"I work best with my back against the wall" he says at one point.
With the backroom talk about venues and the cigar chomping besuited management types try to get their way. The film maker is desperate to go to Libya and take advanyage of the setting and natural lighting of an ancient amphitheater by the sea. The band want to play in front of fans.
While none of the rehearsal is staged its clear that for much of the time the band are conscious of being filmed and I snse that the creative tensions are expressd more politley than they might have been off camera.
When George finally says he is leaving the band it is masterfully understated. There has been no real hint of this beyond the odd sullen glance and the body language as he says to Paul "I'll play anything you ask me to or not play at all, just tell me what you want." and Pauls unhelpful responses which suggest he is doing all the creative thinking (which from this edit is not true ). It just underlines that what he asking for is input from John and that he has no interest really in co-creating with George.
The scenes of the three remaining Beatles both during and after George's departure are strangley muted. . They dont really seem to take at seriously first and then appear to be in a state of mild shock & denial. There is also a slight sense that George wont be missed in the way that Paul or John would. "We'll phone Clapton" says John at one point.
In other ways it is like watching the remaining group grieve.
They then convince themselves/managment /hangers on it will be fine and that they will have a chat with him overnight.
The closing voice over suggests otherwise.
None the less this documentary offers interesting insights into the creative process of the artists and offers glimpses of the group dynamics at the time.
And the songs being created are (at least from time to time) iconic.
In some was it plays like a love triangle between Paul, John and George.
Ringo sits behind his drum kit, above and beyond the internal politics of the song writers .
Paul is frustrated by John's lack of commitment, George tries to offer ideas but is casually dismissed by Paul .
John is more interested in smooching with Yoko than in writing new songs.
"I work best with my back against the wall" he says at one point.
With the backroom talk about venues and the cigar chomping besuited management types try to get their way. The film maker is desperate to go to Libya and take advanyage of the setting and natural lighting of an ancient amphitheater by the sea. The band want to play in front of fans.
While none of the rehearsal is staged its clear that for much of the time the band are conscious of being filmed and I snse that the creative tensions are expressd more politley than they might have been off camera.
When George finally says he is leaving the band it is masterfully understated. There has been no real hint of this beyond the odd sullen glance and the body language as he says to Paul "I'll play anything you ask me to or not play at all, just tell me what you want." and Pauls unhelpful responses which suggest he is doing all the creative thinking (which from this edit is not true ). It just underlines that what he asking for is input from John and that he has no interest really in co-creating with George.
The scenes of the three remaining Beatles both during and after George's departure are strangley muted. . They dont really seem to take at seriously first and then appear to be in a state of mild shock & denial. There is also a slight sense that George wont be missed in the way that Paul or John would. "We'll phone Clapton" says John at one point.
In other ways it is like watching the remaining group grieve.
They then convince themselves/managment /hangers on it will be fine and that they will have a chat with him overnight.
The closing voice over suggests otherwise.
Yoko sits in silence
markbjenkins27 November 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Watch as artistic genius Yoko Ono sits patiently through two hours make sure that John Lennon is never, ever lonely. At some point, she looks like she's paying her bills. Then, after two hours, George quits the Beatles and it's Yoko's time to shine. Her Banshee screams and arrhythmic percussion work shows how the Beatles were already past their time.
George is getting upset!
tamsin-parker-262-53892531 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Yes, it's a chore to watch through. Some parts do drag (thanks, Peter Jackson), and some scenes could just be extras. There are parts worth watching, such as the Beatles goofing around and playing different songs, from joke sings they made up to the Third Man theme.
The research the team did into TV guides (during the scene where George was talking about the inspiration behind I Me Mine) is fantastic, but what was even more amazing is that they got the footage. Usually TV shows would get rid of TV footage once the programme aired, so getting footage for the dance programme seemed like a miracle.
Shame the others dismissed George's songwriting. He was the youngest of the Beatles, joined the band late, and it seems like John and Paul still saw him as that kid who tagged along with them. But arguably, George is the band's best lyricist.
The research the team did into TV guides (during the scene where George was talking about the inspiration behind I Me Mine) is fantastic, but what was even more amazing is that they got the footage. Usually TV shows would get rid of TV footage once the programme aired, so getting footage for the dance programme seemed like a miracle.
Shame the others dismissed George's songwriting. He was the youngest of the Beatles, joined the band late, and it seems like John and Paul still saw him as that kid who tagged along with them. But arguably, George is the band's best lyricist.
Isn't It A Pity
SHU_Movies25 November 2021
Been wanting to watch this for a long time now and I'm glad I finally could. This is an amazing first episode to the series and shows what really happened during the creation of their album. Really glad with how this has turned out! My only big issue is that I'm not a massive fan of documentaries.
Disappointment
jhmrbones6726 November 2021
Been a massive fan of The Beatles my entire life. Just them getting endlessly distracted before a performance. Feels like a waste of time. If you like the Beatles as much as I do you might want to reconsider watching it.
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