Movie Reviews

‘The Beatles: Get Back’ Review: Raise the Roof With The Fab Four

By Cassie Brown
December 3, 2021
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Synopsis: “Documentary about the music group The Beatles featuring in-studio footage that was shot in early 1969 for the 1970 feature film ‘Let It Be.’”

It sure doesn’t feel like a hard day’s night while watching The Beatles create one of the most prolific albums of all time. Combing through 60 hours of documentary footage that was scrapped and previously unseen by the public, Peter Jackson stitched together a three part film chronicling the creation of the album Let it Be, along with the numerous other ideas the Beatles considered for a concert performance. Peering behind the Apple curtain, for the first time ever, with a little help from their friends, The Beatles yet again capture the mop top hearts of fans everywhere.

Get Back has hit the streaming mouse platform of Disney+. This three part documentary is a revelation for any Beatles fan. Even new fans will find themselves noticing the moment a song they are familiar with coming into existence even while others in the room are having normal conversations, not noticing the history being made around them. The film chronicles Paul, John, George and Ringo setting out to create a documentary that would coincide with a live TV performance of the album they would be creating during the filming. This was to take place in a window of only 3-4 weeks. Starting at Twikenham Studios in London the Beatles found themselves in a territory that created walls and difficulties to their creative process they didn’t expect.

Part 1 of the film is the Beatles getting into the studio and sussing out their new creations. But it merely becomes background noise as executives and brown nosing men in suits continually interrupt their ability to create. This all comes to a breaking point when George consequently walks out of the building and quits the Beatles.

Part 2 starts off with the George returning and the band leaving the large open air Twickenham studio for a more comfortable environment at their own recording company, Apple. The team basically tape and glue together a recording system (with George even donating pieces of his home studio) to record what will be known as the Let It Be album. Once they settle into their new digs, well the magic of the mystery tour sets in.

The final act of the film is the culmination of a section of the album and the historical rooftop performance. The boys get out of the grips of making a TV special and finally just do something for themselves. And the rest is fab history.

There is so much more within each section of Get Back. Fans everywhere will feel goosebumps watching the creation of some of the most famous songs of all time in front of their eyes. My favorite moment was hearing Paul create Let it Be in the background of executives having a casual conversation, no one aware he was writing a song that would reign supreme over music for generations. It’s so strange watching history be made on camera, the sussing out of a chord or a line, watching each Beatle smile at one another when they find the groove. It’s truly something, even if you’re not necessarily a fan of The Beatles, that you appreciate. At the end of the day it’s a documentation of someone creating something prolific in real time.

There was 60 hours of footage and over 150 hours of audio Peter Jackson had to work with. Clocking in at almost 7 hours, Get Back is no doubt a long film. For die hard fans, it doesn’t seem like enough time, but for fans on the fence I think it’s just enough time to fall in love with the boys. At times it does seem tedious hearing the droning on and on from the directors around The Beatles, the constant conversation of where they’re going to perform, making you cringe with that slimy “executive trying to corral a star” feeling. But when you get to sections where The Beatles are sitting there and finally making music, it’s incredible.

I am a huge Beatles fan, so watching Get Back was unbelievable. I’ve had the Let it Be album on repeat constantly ever since. I found myself even shedding a tear at the end as theBeatles finished their roof performance and bid everyone ado, the last live performance in which they would all be together. Peter Jackson did an amazing job of capturing the shining moments from the footage he was given. The film itself is much better than the old bootleg version someone had put together from the footage they found, which I had ordered from Germany about five years ago (yes I’m that big of a fan).

The Beatles are one of the most influential bands of all time. This documentary did them justice I believe. It is an open invitation to new fans everywhere to look back through the catalogue that led Paul, George, Ringo and John up to that point. It could also rub some non-fans the wrong way, watching John and Paul essentially riff for minutes on end with no real rhyme or reason. I see where it falls short at times, but it still is unseen footage of the maybe one of the biggest bands of all time creating some of the biggest songs of all time. They shaped a generation and I’m so glad there was a camera crew there to document it.

Final Thoughts?

Get Back did not let me down. The friendship captured on screen is something that is so organic and real it struck a chord with me. You cannot deny the genius of those four men, bound together by their historical rise to fame, only to share glances at one another across the room no one will ever understand. Get Back is a piece of art in the museum of musical history. It will be there for everyone to watch, to enjoy, to remind them all that this existed and these are the men that made it. Don’t let it be, turn around on the one after 909 and get on the roof with The Beatles. You won’t be let down.