Been Workin' Like a Dog

Rating: 9/10 (24 June 2001)

A Hard Day's Night is a simple movie that encapsulates the true spirit of the 60s. Believe it or not, the Beatles did rule supreme - they effectively dominated the number one spot in the UK and abroad in their 8-year public career so much so that only a few singles released (such as Eleanor Rigby and Something) hit anything lower (like the number two and three slots).

The Beatles altered perceptions of music forever, they were the creators of innumerable styles or at least they were the band that made those other styles popular (Helter Skelter was the 'first' heavy metal song people noticed, Tomorrow Never Knows is said to have pioneered techno music using electronic looping and such). People who say that Beatle songs are dribblingly poor owe their current favourite to this band for it would have a musical connection - that song would be a part of this group's influence.

Opinions are criminally divided between those that simply detest the film and those that believe that the movie rules supreme. I tend to believe that A Hard Day's Night is a delightful, simple film intended to showcase the 'real' musical lives of the Beatles (which it didn't, upsetting Lennon in particular) and display the absolute popularity they held, the tension of their work and the bubbling personalities that made them stars.
The movie is energetic and vibrant - as vibrant visually as black and white can be. The simple story is intended not for serious consideration or to be sneered at - rather as a semi-mockumentary that showcases several small misadventures and seven Lennon/McCartney songs including the classics A Hard Day's Night, Can't By Me Love and If I Fell. These songs are by no means the technical masterpieces that would make the Beatles the most revered, timeless band - indeed, until Rubber Soul and Revolver, they did not begin pushing the envelope in any major way. Yet they are still enjoyable and it can be seen that McCartney and Lennon are just beginning to experiment with their musicality.
Released to ride on the wave of Beatlemania that would see Paul's house broken into for the photographs, Ringo's hair cut (for a souvenir) with scissors by a fan at a black-tie function and the two-concerts-a-day touring schedule, A Hard Day's Night shows us in its simple, undemanding yet exceedingly enjoyable way what life was like for a Beatle (for the most part) and the absolute fun that John, Paul, George and Ringo had on their trip to the toppermost of the poppermost. Watch it and if you don't like it, at least respect that these four chaps on screen changed the world forever through their music, their message and their sheer popularity.