The Beatles: Get Back (Part 1)

— I spent 2½ hours yesterday watching the first part of “The Beatles: Get Back” on Disney+. I knew what it was, but I wasn’t really prepared. The 3-part series, directed by Peter Jackson, was edited from 60 hours of restored, unseen footage shot in January 1969 by Michael Lindsay-Hogg and 150 hours of unheard audio recorded over 21 days. The Beatles hadn’t performed live in over two years, Brian Epstein had died 14 months earlier, all four had spouses and near-spouses, and tensions were high. Everyone came together to create their twelfth and final album, “Let It Be,” on which the song "Get Back" is included, and to prepare for what turned out to be their last ever concert on January 30, 1969. The film got off to a slower start than I would have liked, but I think that’s because the four Beatles were fairly dysfunctional at that point, making the viewer as skittish as they were around each other. That hesitancy as they dealt with each other may have been uncomfortable, but day by day you could see a shift, ever so slowly, as sparks of the cohesion, creativity, and core friendship returned. The change may not have been permanent, but the past and the music were a strong glue in the present. It’s fascinating to see an album evolve, particularly when it includes songs like “Let It Be” and one that almost seems more current today like “Get Back”. I’m really enjoying it and looking forward to 173 minutes more today and, tomorrow, to seeing the entire 42-minute, lunchtime show performed on Apple Corps’ freezing rooftop, their final public performance. I’m sure not every viewer will want to see the minute-by-minute process, but for those who do, it’s wonderful. [Disney+ streaming.]

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[2021. 3 Parts. 468 min. 3 parts (157, 173, & 138 min respectively). Directed by Peter Jackson. Archive footage: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Yoko Ono, Linda McCartney, Maureen Starley, Bill Preston, George Martin, and Michael Lindsay-Hogg.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-beatles-get-back-movie-review-2021