A Hard Day's Night DVD Review
Posted by Jacob Ziegler on 10.16.2002
It’s been a hard day’s night. And I’ve been working like a dog.
A Hard Day’s Night
Release Date: September 24th, 2002
Despite breaking up over thirty years ago, fans of The Beatles are still remarkably rabid when it comes to the release of old footage of the band. Luckily for the fans, and even for non-fans, Miramax has released the Beatles first (and best) film on DVD, and they spared no expense to give the best possible DVD package.
The Film
Simply put, this is one of the funniest, most cheerful films ever made. It has its moments of quiet sorrow, but for the most part the film just rolls along with the fabulous foursome smiling and causing all kinds of trouble.
There is not a lot of plot to develop. The film’s strength comes with its four stars: John, Paul, George, and Ringo. All four men ooze charisma, and each have their own distinct personality which is allowed to shine through, thanks to brilliant, perfect direction from Richard Lester. In addition to the mop-topped quartet, Wilfred Brambell joins the cast as Paul’s grandfather. In one of the film’s running jokes, everyone keeps noticing how clean of a man he is. Why this is funny cannot be explained, it has to be seen.
The most alluring part of the movie is of course, the soundtrack, which, incidentally became the first Beatles album to feature all original material. Songs include “A Hard Day’s Night,” “She Loves You,” “All My Loving,” “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “And I Love Her,” and a few others as well. Some of the funnier scenes just have to be seen to be understood. John encounters a woman in a hallway, who swears that he’s someone, but we never know who she thinks he is (although we can assume she thinks it is John). He convinces her that he is not him, whoever she thinks he was. Another scene finds John in the bathtub, and it is just too funny for words. Numerous one-liners from all four of the musical juggernauts permeate the film, and they get funnier with each successive viewing.
Video Quality
Considering the film’s original release date of 1964, the film looks really good. It is presented in Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1, and is of course presented in beautiful black and white. Every once in a while one can see a glitch, but considering its age that is forgivable.
Audio Quality
Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Surround are the options here, and the sound, like the video, shows a bit of age but it still remarkable given how old it is. The real selling point is of course the songs, which sound really good, but are often mimed out-of-synch. But it can again be attributed to the age and technology level of when the film was made.
Special Features
They sure opened the floodgates on this one. It is a two-disc set, absolutely filled to the brim with extra features. The first disc has a documentary with many interviews from people involved with the film, giving their recollections on making the movie. A DVD-Rom feature is also on the first disc, which allows one to watch the film and read along with the script. Disc two is crammed with interviews from EVERYONE involved with the movie at all. Director Richard Lester, Beatles producer George Martin, the film’s producers, co-stars, production crew, post-production crew, photographer, tailor, publicist, and promoter. It also has a section on the clean old man Wilfrid Brambell, Isla Blair (whose scenes were cut), and an interview with close friends of the Beatles, Klaus Voorman. All the interviews are interesting and give even more insight to the psyches of the most famous band ever. The features alone make the set worth buying. Beatlemaniacs will treasure it, and others will find it all intriguing.
Film: 9.5
Video Quality: 7.5
Audio Quality: 7.0
Special Features: 10.0
The 411: This is an interesting slice-of-life picture, as it depicts the most famous rock band in the world at the height of their popularity. It allows all of the Beatles to display their extraordinary charisma and senses of humor. Wilfrid Brimball is the perfect addition to the fab four, and the comic hilarity is some of the best we will ever see. Even for non-Beatles fans, the film should be enjoyable, and the extra features at least interesting. I highly recommend this film to anyone and everyone.
