Here we go. Bring on the heartbreak. I’m watching The Beatles: Get Back on Disney Plus and I may just stop at the beginning of episode 3. It’s about to get rough.
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This is why I didn’t want to watch. It’s gonna fucking suck when it’s over. When I say it’s over, I mean The Beatles. They will go their separate ways and we’ll all be thinking about the “what if?” of it all. What if they had stayed together? What if John wasn’t assassinated? What if George were still alive? It’s the “what if” that really makes this whole documentary so sad.
Maybe I won’t watch the end. That may be the solution. I already know how it ends. It’s like a funeral really. You get to choose how you remember the deceased. If you look in the casket? That memory is going to be there. If you DON’T look? There’s still a chance the person is still alive. They’re just not around anymore. That’s how I want to remember The Beatles. I want to remember them from episode 2 of this documentary. Good times.
Peter Jackson and him team did a fantastic job with this doc. Yes, they made choices as to the narrative, blah, blah, blah. But they also did something much more important. They showed The Beatles in action. They cleaned up the picture and sound from hours and hours of material and let it roll. That alone was worth it. We got to see these four dudes behind the eight ball, making music and having fun.
They owed an album. There was a time crunch. A little over 2 weeks to deliver. So, they put their shoulder to the wheel and did the work. They got together. They created. They played. It’s the element of play that really shines through. You see them having fun! And making great music at the same time! It’s incredible.
There are so many stand out moments. The guys are constantly jamming to oldies. Sometimes their own songs, other times it’s an old Chuck Berry tune, but they’re goofing and having a blast. They have a musical shorthand that’s wild to watch. Not a word is spoken but they follow each other’s lead.
George Harrison mentions how his playing is improving because he’s playing more. The rehearsals are getting the band back together. The comradery. The musicianship. The friendship. It’s fun as fuck to watch. Sounds great too!
And you know it will all come apart at the seams the moment the album and concert is done. Once it’s over? It’s over. They all go their separate ways, never to return. That’s the heartache. Not sure I want to go down that road. Instead, I’ll skip the end of episode 3 and remember The Beatles from episodes 1 and 2. When they were smiling and laughing and lifting each other up. Making great music as friends.
