A Train and a room, a car and a room and a room and a room

Rating: 10/10 (17 May 2009)

By 1964 The Beatles were a huge phenomenon. Already the focus of international obsession, it seemed logical that a feature film would be the way to go. It was not uncommon for musical acts, and pop groups to enter into the world of the big screen to enhance their careers. Instead of musical glamour and romanticised story lines, director Dick Lester and producer Walter Shenson, together with Alun Owen who wrote the screenplay, set out to construct an expose of the culture of the world in which The Beatles lived. The object was to show reality, to document what the lives of the Fab Four were like, albeit lightheartedly. The sense of realism established in Lester's film achieves an important target: The Beatles are playing themselves, and unlike their second feature film, Help! also directed by Richard Lester in 1965, has a plausible and likely plot line. As well as being fictional, A Hard Day's Night could be a straight documentary, revealing intimate character traits of each Beatle. Lennon appears clownish, caustic and cynically sarcastic; McCartney, good natured and playful; Harrison as quietly witty and Ringo appears vulnerable and cute, and all four possess and display with terrific ability the quick, Liverpudlian wit and humour which they became so well known for. Increasing this sense of a realistic setting is Lester's revolutionary behind-the-scenes approach. The result is a humorous and interesting film which revolutionised the landscape of modern cinema. An absolute must whether you are a Beatles fan or not.