The Beatles: Get Back review – Peter Jackson docuseries gives fans a wealth of new revelations

Language: English The most important duty that Peter Jackson has ever performed in his life as a filmmaker with a tome like The Lord of the Rings to his credit, has been to set the record straight on a historic wrong. Tainted by the one-sided, selectively vicious narrative of Michael Linsey-Hogg’s Let it Be, _The Beatles_ themselves have had to live down the widely accepted but deeply uncomfortable version of events that preceded their breakup. There’s been so much of John (Lennon) and Yoko (Ono) and Paul (McCartney) making the rounds over five decades that the information regarding the breakup is as misunderstood and slighting as George Harrison has felt even as an active member of the band. Jackson, a man who has a history of super lengthy films to his credit, was entrusted with the job to extract a story from 60 hours of raw footage of the greatest band on earth. The overwhelming nature of the task notwithstanding, the filmmaker has managed to provide a wholesome alternate narrative, unanimously approved by the two remaining Beatles and the estates of the fallen heroes, in the three-part docuseries The Beatles: Get Back streaming on Disney+. Also read:  Ahead of new album The Bridge, Sting opens up on the 'dangerous political climate', vaccine hesitancy, and more Many of us (fans of The Beatles and otherwise) broached the idea of the series with caution. With Paul and Ringo being the only ones remaining to defend how they’re being portrayed; would the footage be a manipulation of the truth to support their version? Then again, the estate of John Lennon, overseen by the highly reviled Yoko Ono, was never going to pass something that is heavily skewed in McCartney’s favour.

With so much footage to sieve through, Jackson has in fact put together a compelling chronicle of the days preceding what would be The Beatles’ final live performance, replete with new music from their penultimate album Let It Be (in terms of chronology though it was released after Abbey Road). Divided into segments comprising a few days each, the three parts of the documentary trace the evolution of the album and underline the reality that the end was indeed near for the band.

We find our original Fab Four in different stages of disillusionment, dissatisfied at having to create new music in an uninspiring setup like the Twickenham Studios. Having decided to not tour anymore or perform live (1966), the band had gotten accustomed to creating albums in the studio without being together at all times. So, in January 1969, we find them struggling both for inspiration as well as a purpose to keep them together. Paul is both domineering and visionary, getting George’s goat with the constant need to do things his way. George, who has by far the widest musical influences and some very pertinent suggestions, is frequently at the receiving of Paul’s patronizing behaviour. At the same time, Paul is less pushy with Lennon, almost respecting the magical space they operate within, despite all their differences. Of course, the more we watch the series, the more aware we become of how important it was for Paul to get everyone to just operate at their optimal together. George is getting increasingly annoyed about being cast aside in favour of the Lennon-McCartney song-writing, and Ringo we find out has already quit the band once only to return soon after. In the midst of them grappling with the demise of their favourite manager Brian Epstein, the “lads” also realise that their priorities are no longer the same, the exhaustion to lead a band is overbearing while also handling feelings of underappreciation. A secretly taped conversation between Paul and John is as heart-breaking as it is revelatory: they shared a very genuine bond that commanded both respect and frankness. Against this complicated tapestry is the most consistent thread (or presence) of all: Yoko Ono. Defying the unsaid band rules is the constant presence of John’s girlfriend, more than most wives and girlfriends of the members. They reconcile themselves to accepting her company, with Paul even making a pitch to the others about their young love. But like George Martin says at one point after Harrison’s exit, “Location isn’t our main problem right now.” “No”, says Ringo. “Breathing is,” Paul adds, tellingly. Presented in their natural habitat, The Beatles have reached a point of asphyxia in their careers, but for us fans there can be no greater feeling than being the fly on the wall in these sessions. There are so many goosebumps-raising instances as we move from the embryonic stages of some songs and see them to fruition. Watching the maestros at work in an atelier as they piece together some of their greatest hits. Tunes randomly appear as ideas or as uninhibited scatting only to take shape as timeless melodies. Watching how unassumingly Let it Be is created by Paul who is tinkering around on the piano or how Get Back in its most nascent form is just some scatting, makes you feel like you have the band’s All Access pass. You feel like you’re right there and you wonder why Linda and Yoko are so lost in conversation when Paul is playing what ends up being the closest to the final form of Let it Be! You want to stop their talking and tell them to just listen. And that’s when it occurs to you that obviously they know. They were there. And they have been there when so many major hits have been created, so the nonchalance of their conversation is just indicative of this being yet another day at work.  But we feel so invested in this process, and for that feeling credit must be given to the superlative restoration work put in by Jackson and his team.

The mind-boggling work done on 50-year-old footage is evident in the visuals: clear, not grainy and edited to create such a flawless candid camera style of storytelling. Audio recordings are intelligently supplemented with photos and stock footage to take the story forward. Peter Jackson has come to be associated with some very lengthy productions and there are parts in the docuseries that feel flabby and repetitive for their own good. But the artistic process is repetitive and tedious often until one reaches their idea of perfection. Where Jackson drags in length and tedium, he makes up in substance. The obvious major narrative apart, the raw footage captures so many of the smaller but crucial emotions, moments of unmistakable camaraderie and states of mind of the band members; things that often get left off in at the editing table. The docuseries is a most memorable treat for the fans, giving them renewed perspective on a subject they were convinced they knew. In many ways it provides closure for the fans and the surviving band members, helping Paul atone for some of his wrongs even as it vindicates him in other parts. Too bad it has taken more than 50 years for that to happen. But as the very wise Samwise Gamgee says in The Lord of the Rings, “It’s the job that’s never started as takes longest to finish.” Rating: 4.5 The Beatles: Get Back is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.

Senior journalist Lakshmi Govindrajan Javeri has spent a good part of two decades chronicling the arts, culture and lifestyles. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.