68. The Beatles: Get Back - The Rooftop Concert; movie review

THE BEATLES: GET BACK - THE ROOFTOP CONCERT

Cert 12A

65 mins

BBFC advice: Contains infrequent strong language, moderate sex references

When I was young, I thought Paul McCartney stood out as the best of The Beatles and, consequently, I became a fan of his band Wings.

John Lennon died when I was a student and I suddenly realised the power of his back catalogue and he took over as my favourite.

But in later years, I belatedly understood that the deepest of the Fab Four was George Harrison and I now adore his lilting style.

Meanwhile, Ringo was the beat of The Beatles.

In 2022, I can look back on all my years of enjoying music and say that their combination was the greatest ever. The depth in each song has enabled them to endure for more than 50 years and they will for hundreds more.

Thus, it was a pleasure to drive up to Mansfield Odeon on a wet Monday morning to have an IMAX auditorium almost to myself so I could lap up The Beatles final gig - on roof of their own Apple building.

This comprises just a sixth of the Peter Jackson masterpiece documentary which I shall review elsewhere.

I had already seen the latter at home but wanted to experience the cinema sound of the rooftop songs and was so glad I did.

In the current pop world, there isn't a Beatles equivalent, so it is difficult to imagine what it must have been like to walk down a street and hear the most famous musicians in the world playing live.

The reactions of surprised onlookers, caught by one director Michael Lindsay-Hogg's six cameras are semi-hilarious.

As are those of the poor police constables who are given the task of reacting to the "30 complaints in half and hour" about excessive noise.

But most of all there is the music - the raw power of Get Back and Don't Let Me Down among others, complemented by some later studio recordings of Let It Be and The Long And Winding Road.

Remastered by Jackson, it is a moment in history that any fan of popular culture should appreciate and enjoy.

Reasons to watch; The greatest sound in pop music history

Reasons to avoid: You need background knowledge

Laughs: Two

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 8.5/10

Did you know? The Beatles had many ideas about where to perform the climactic concert for their new film. The Sahara desert was floated as a potential location, as were the Giza pyramids, and even the QE2 ocean liner. A 2,000-year-old Roman amphitheater in Tunisia was seriously considered and location scouts were sent to investigate.

The final word. Producer Giles Martin: " I think this is more of a historical document for fans. I’ve made it so fans can listen to everything I have, really. I cut off a bit at the end, which is basically just wind noise, and that’s it. I mixed the whole thing from start to finish in its entirety.” Rolling Stone

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