I thoroughly enjoyed watching A Hard Day’s Night. I first heard The Beatles before I could speak. Many people do. They’re not just an institution, they are the institution. Every piece of music currently made is in some way in conversation with The Beatles.
So, it’s astonishing to see them as just a bunch of very, very likable lads getting up to hijinks. It’s fun to see Ringo run a visual joke or John rebel against their manager. It’s magical to see the boys they were.
Of course, the magic is the music. The movie finds space for a lot of music and the album finds even more. “And I Love Her” is the first great McCartney ballad and the centerpiece of the movie. John’s edge in “I’ll Cry Instead” and “You Can’t Do That” is emphasized both by his performance in the movie and by the songs being cut from it.
For all four of the Beatles, watching the movie and then revisiting the album has shown me things I never understood about them. The majority of the movie is four lads from Manchester running away from teenage girls and enjoying every moment of it. I wish they had been able to do that forever.
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