Often regarded as the greatest band of all time, The Beatles, despite their short-lived career as a band, have a long and varied history. Titans among pop culture icons, the group has been the inspiration for many works of art over the last 50 years. Among the countless records, movies, paintings or fashions that pay homage to the group, there is also a great mythos surrounding their lives and careers.
One of the best parts of being a Beatles fan is exchanging bits of information with people via word of mouth. As perhaps the most popular musical act of the last 50 years, there is potential to strike up a conversation about the group with just about anyone. To prepare for that venture, here are 10 great documentaries to advance your knowledge on The Beatles.
10 The Beatles: The First U.S. Visit
A great and raw introduction to The Beatles career and their humor, The Beatles: The First U.S. Visit is made up of footage from the band's first ever tour in the United States. Until they got off the plane at JFK airport, they had no idea just how adored they were overseas. Their very first night in America the band famously played the Ed Sullivan Show, a TV event that one in three Americans witnessed at the time of its premiere.
The documentary covers their trip all the way from NYC to Washington D.C. and down to Miami Beach. It is full of press conferences, concert footage, as well as the band's personal recordings of their hotel room experiences. You can bet that if the camera is on them, the lads are acting a fool for it.
9 The U.S. vs John Lennon
Nowadays, John Lennon is remembered as a symbol of peace since that's what his music mainly stood for, and love of course. The U.S. vs John Lennon recollects how at one point, Lennon was seen as a threat to the American government. He and Yoko Ono's anti-war activism such as bed peace, bagism, and the give peace a chance rally, scored the couple a spot on the CIA's list of people to keep an eye on.
The film covers how John was found with excess amounts of Marijuana and was almost deported from the U.S all together. However, the drugs were seemingly planted on him, probable cause to revoke his green-card. The doc explains how this scenario was painful to John, a man who genuinely loved America and living in NYC. New Yorkers then and now claimed Lennon and certainly did not want to have to see him go anytime.
8 How the Beatles Changed the World
If you're ever schooling a friend on the greatest band of all time, this documentary is an all informative yet concise introduction. How the Beatles Changed the World reviews the total history of the band's career all the while exploring the significant ways in which they impacted western culture. They are known for sensationalizing long hair on men, inspiring countless youths to pick up instruments and songwriting, and being totally adventurous is all forms of expression. The fab four trail-blazed the Cultural Revolution by being explorative youths with the largest following of any band before or after them.
7 Imagine: John Lennon
Imagine a documentary about John Lennon narrated by the man himself. Well, Imagine: John Lennon is exactly that. Composed of hundreds of hours of interview clips that span over his entire life and career, the film is narrated by John, cleverly edited to fit into structure. It also features interviews from key players in the musician's story including his two sons, first and second wives and his mistress. A glimpse into the emotional side of the rocker, his narration expresses a range of feelings over his late mother, his married life, and his journey with the other three Beatles.
Made after his death in 1980, the documentary offers a look into how the people in his life took his death. The film was commissioned by Yoko Ono, though the other three Beatles were asked to participate, none of them agreed.
6 Good Ol' Freda
Who better to work for The Beatles than one of their biggest fans? Good Ol' Freda tells the story of a teenage girl from Liverpool, the Beatles' hometown, who went on to be the loyal secretary to the group and their manager Brian Epstein for the band's entire career in the 1960s. They say behind every great man is an even greater woman, the parable holds true for this rockumentary. The film sheds light on Freda's role with the band, highlighting an amazing woman who was previously lost to history.
5 The Beatles and India
Ever wanted a look into the inside of one of the most famous religious pilgrimages in pop culture history? When the Beatles went to India it was a transformative experience which opened them up to all the benefits of transcendental meditation. The Beatles and India shares the band's experience with fans, complete with never before seen footage from the band member's personal cameras. The film brings the viewer into the Beatles' trip across the globe and connects to the spiritual experience they encountered at the time.
4 Eight Days a Week
If you've ever wanted a peek into the lives of the world's most famous band at the height of their touring career, this doc has you covered. Eight Days a Week covers The Beatles through their touring years, as they were soaring to new lengths of notoriety no other musical act had gone to before. It all sounds great from the outside looking it, but this documentary offers a look into the personal lives of the group at the time and how unforgiving their schedule was to maintain ablaze in the spotlight.
The title itself is a quip originally coined by the group's chauffer in those years, a hyperbolized reference to how often he's been working. While the group turned around and flipped the phrase into a love song, they too could apply the phrase to their work ethic. The Beatles were living hotel room to transit to concert to recording studio to film set to hotel room at the time, and it was taking a toll on their mental health. The film provides an honest glimpse into the band's escapist use of marijuana at the time and the array of factors which led them to quit touring for good.
3 Above Us Only Sky
Any die hard fan of The Beatles has probably wondered what the legendary rock n rollers were like when they were alone. Above Us Only Sky is an intimate look into the lives of John Lennon and Yoko Ono after the break-up of the Beatles. The documentary covers the lives of the power couple during the recording of Lennon's Imagine album. Mainly taking place at their Tittenhurst Park manor where John had a recording studio built in the basement, the film is composed of footage of their home life and the studio sessions which comprised Imagine.
The film boldly revises the known history of John Lennon career by shifting focus onto John and Yoko's relationship and how influential she was on him and the art he made. In his final interview from the day of his death in December 1980, John discusses how "Imagine" should have been published as (Lennon-Ono) but he was too macho at the time. Above Us Only Sky provides evidence for that statement, including many scenes where Yoko is editing John's lyrics. It also diverges into Yoko's life story and how imagination was always an integral part of her life.
2 Get Back
What's it like to hang out with The Beatles while they record an album? Get Back is the documentary experience that definitively answers that question. Coming in at around eight hours, the film is in utter service to the fans. Made up of over 60 hours of archival footage, brilliantly remastered and edited by Peter Jackson and a small team, Get Back covers the making of the Beatles' record Let It Be. Fans get to witness the record come together from scratch on the long and winding road to completion.
The recording sessions in the film were previously known for being the tense final straw which broke up the band for good. However, Peter Jackson's edit proves that despite the emotional points, the four Beatles were very much best friends who enjoyed spending time together. As much as they are seen working hard to produce a record within their high demanding schedule, they are also seen goofing around just about the same if not more.
1 George Harrison: Living in the Material World
So much more than your average rockumentary, George Harrison: Living in the Material World, directed by Martin Scorsese, is a spiritual experience that clocks in at around four incredible hours. Told in three parts, the story of George Harrison naturally encompasses the story of the Beatles, but told from a deeply emotional standpoint. It shows that although he was known as the quiet Beatle, there was so much dynamic to his personality that was not perceived by the public in the early years.
In parts two and three, Scorsese dives into George's life post-Beatles and how he struggled with addiction all the while being such an amazing friend to those around him and a light to the whole world through his music. The candid emotions seen in those being interviewed for the film shows how profoundly Harrison must have touched the lives of his closest friends, and in watching you see he had very many friends! Covering his whole life, this documentary leaves the viewer with a sense of how meaningful one's life can be if only you treat it with meaning.