At one point The Beatles became the world’s biggest band and they still hold that title to this day. In the 1960’s, when musicians weren’t known to make films, those around The Beatles decided tot change that. Thus, “A Hard Day’s Night” was created. The film was directed by Richard Lester, who was more known for directing television, was picked to handle the production. Since he had no idea how The Beatles behaved, he decided to spend a couple of days with the band so see what their personalities were like. Very quickly he found them to be quick witted and quite cheeky. The era of film they were going for was a mimic of French New-Wave, which would be declared British New Wave. The idea of the film was to have The Beatles play themselves in a parody sense. Overall, the idea on paper was a real risk. The shaggy-haired band didn’t appeal to adults but, the youth were in love since they represented the emotion of post-war England. They were rebellious and their humor matched with lack of respect of authority figures. It was very Monty Python before Monty Python was even a thing.
The film itself was filmed to be black and white (though color cinema has been out for decades before) to catch the feel of Mod culture. The band themselves in their early stages only wore black, white, and shades of grey. The film was supposed to be following the band documentary style; or more so a “day in the life” style. It was one of the first to do such and it was a major risk, but it had great reception. Fans were ecstatic to see The Beatles in a more personal setting, even though they were playing more extreme versions of themselves. What was expected to flop became a major success with a majority of positive reviews. Was this because the movie itself is good, or because it’s simply The Beatles. What now seems more of a publicity ploy instead of a chance to make a great film, the movie lacks any form of a real story line. It’s full of witty banter and one liners, but is it only enjoyable because it’s four well beloved members of society?
Critics have been torn on the subject. If one is a hard-core fan they are not going to suggest the movie is bad, simply because for a fan it is fully enjoyable. A fan gets to hear the music that love while they watch what they feel to be almost inside jokes from the talented musical group. This is great to sell the band; listen to the music and laugh at how clever they are. When it comes to great cinema though, is it actually a good film? Does it stand the test of time? Does it remain relevant in a constant changing world? I am a fan of The Beatles and have been since I can remember. When I first watched this film when I was younger I simply enjoyed it for it being The Beatles. I didn’t care that I had no idea what was really happening or what they were actually saying. It’s almost as if one needs to watch the film with subtitles since they still had such thick Liverpool accents. This is the feeling that most American audience members had when it was first released; we love it because we love the band. Older, I now prefer the way the film looks with the music more than the actual events of the movie. The cinematography has stood the test of time; it’s very stylized and works well for matching the feel of the 60’s which is still very popular in modern culture. You see it still in music, art, film, theater, and fashion. The music stands the test of time because The Beatles are being passed down from generation to generation. So even if the movie itself didn’t change the world, it did change the way we handle how we promote other artist. The Beatles produced four studio films afterwards; the eccentric comedy “Help!”, the documentary “Let It Be”, the lesser known “Magic Mystery Tour”, and the cult classic “Yellow Submarine”; which is a favorite in my household.
If history has shown us anything about The Beatles, it’s that they are not going away any time soon, even if the product isn’t the best. Fans will purchase anything with them involved. I am one of those people, I own all their movies, every album, countless shirts, posters, home goods, lunchboxes, and even LEGO kits. I buy the product because I like what the band is selling; they are selling their fantastic music with charm, humor, and great images. The film itself is entertaining. Is it a classic? Depends on who you talk to. However, their is no denying that The Beatles were very smart at promoting themselves to the world in a forward thinking way.
Resources
Behind “A Hard Day’s Night”; 50 Years Later
Vanity Fair: A Hard Day’s Night
Beatles Impact on Cinematography