by Hank Brockett
No one ever made a movie like A Hard Day’s Night.
Not for lack of chances, of course. Pop flavors have changed hundreds of times since the British Invasion of 1964, and films both have clamped onto those trends and set a few as well.
But the film, now captured in all its black-and-white glory on a special edition DVD, leaps off the screen like an exuberant Beatle during a madcap chase. In 90 minutes time, more energy crackles and shines than in any music-based fiction film since.
The irony, of course, remains that blurred line between fiction and reality. By the time the film was shot, just weeks after the Beatles’ first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, Beatlemania already afflicted millions on both sides of the Atlantic.
And while director Richard Lester’s film captures all the youthful agony and ecstasy, A Hard Day’s Night solidified the Beatle personalities for all of time. Playing themselves, each Beatle took a role ... and in many ways those characteristics came to define their real-life perception.
You can forgive the public for being confused. The Beatles already charmed the pens right out of the hands of reporters during initial visits, so their quick wit wasn’t a surprise.
But take Ringo. The sad-faced drummer can’t even escape the nose jokes on the big screen (probably a good move, given how big it would appear in theaters). Tiny vignettes show a sadder side to the man who one day would get by with a little help from his friends.
At one point, the Beatles all get fan mail. After a healthy armful of letters arrives for Ringo, George zings, “He has a large family.”
And so to this day, Ringo remains the underdog. The under-appreciated Beatle. The steadying force. The one who was lucky to be there.
What makes A Hard Day’s Night such a joy, besides one of the classic soundtracks of all time, is that lingering suspicion the movie was created by friends, for friends.
Just try and count all the inside jokes, the running gags, the one-liners, the unconventional camera angles and the random oddities. And then remember at this time, the Beatles seemed like everybody’s friend ... and it all makes sense.
The feelings wouldn’t last on either end. The Beatles were unfortunate enough to reach pop perfection by this time, as evidenced by pumping out the film’s title track in one night.
Youthful foolishness and wit eventually gave way to the more serious thoughts of cultural upheaval in the late 1960s. But through all the drugs, experimentation, trips with the Maharishi and break-ups, we all like to think the Beatles we saw on screen always existed somewhere in their hearts.
Rock films weren’t anything new for early rock and roll. Witness how many times Elvis donned a Hawaiian shirt for the sake of a soundtrack album. But none of them ever ended up as anything more than a sweet to go with the popcorn.
In doing something new and slightly surreal, the film accidentally foreshadows the rise of MTV. After all, the many performances in the film, interspersed with goofing off and peeks behind-the-scenes, aren’t all that different than most of today’s Total Request Live favorites.
Now let’s take a moment to try and not hold that against them.
Instead, focus on all the brilliant mistakes which make up the greater part of why this film still makes us smile.
DVDs, at least the best produced ones, can offer rare glimpses behind the scenes. These featurettes, interviews and commentaries foster an appreciation seldom seen outside film school.
But don’t let that deter you. After all these years, learning the inside story on your favorite film almost seems like hearing the real gossip from your high school days. “So that’s what really happened ...”
In the Things We Said Today featurette, a cameraman relates a story concerning the climactic television concert. He drew the unenviable assignment of filming from the screaming throngs of girls.
A few days later, he found himself with searing tooth pain. The dentist says the tooth has been jarred loose by constant vibration.
The ecstasy of a thousand teenage crushes had sent this man into agony.
The irony fits right in for A Hard Day’s Night.
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