This really does what its says on the tin. It’s The Beatles. In 1964. Their first foray into America, documenting the chaos that ensued. It’s mostly all archive, some apparently never before seen, shot by brothers Albert and David Maysles as the band visit, New York, Washington and Miami. America needed an escape. JFK recently shot, a country in mourning, it had no idea what was about to hit it. Candid clips, behind the scenes in hotel rooms, all four of them do what they do best, goof around. This is the stuff that makes this and all Beatles documentaries tick. Add crowd shots and interviews with fans, plus live performances and you’ve got a solid core. There’s a bit of present day interviews too to give some context, mostly with fans reminiscing, which is okay but not revelatory. McCartney features too though, along with Ringo, Ronnie Spector, David Lynch, XXX (Terence Trent Darby) and Martin Scorsese who produced this is and is mostly in the background. Smokey Robinson talks about the power of the music, pulling people of all colours together. As everything slowly moves toward the focus of the trip, the Ed Sullivan show. It’s unfathomable today to understand how big a deal this was, but I guess the fact we all know about this TV appearance shows its cultural impact. Even if the young McCartney declares “It’s not culture, it’s a good laugh”. It’s not groundbreaking, you won’t learn anything new, but still a fun watch for any fan… and that’s everyone, right?
6/10
Comments