Capturing The Beatles In one amazing film about music: Richard Lester's "A HARD DAY'S NIGHT' (1964)

A classic on improvisation that paved the way for future generations not only in the music industry but also films itself. Featuring great songs this movie was able to meet The Beatles at their prime. No disappointments here!

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One of the things that is quite clear watching the now classic, 1964's A Hard Day's Night directed by Richard Lester and starring The Beatles, who were on their third album and had already conquered the US after their famous performance on the Ed Sullivan Show, is that this film deals with irreverence. Because of the way in which history is somewhat disconnected and even simplistic, but as magic and a great director, it revolutionized what we call musical.

It's almost undeniable that when watching the movie, it evokes us in music videos and that maybe has a lot to do with the decision to let The Beatles be The Beatles.

The energy of the film's images is contagious and it doesn't make much difference whether or not it has a message by definition. No need, as it's about the group (John, Paul, George and Ringo) leaving Liverpool on their way to London with their manager (Norman Rossington) and also Paul's grandfather (Wilfrid Brambell) where they will make a special appearance in a television show. Guys are constantly chased by girls and other not-so-interesting people.

It is very interesting how Richard Lester follows the boys on their mini adventures. The camera has a certain distance and the close ups are, largely expressive, almost always ironic, but it has a positive effect on this film.

This movie has a script, but the impression is whenever The Beatles are doing as they want and what they want all the time giving the feeling of improvisation. This spontaneity is the key that connects the audience with the film. It doesn't matter what happens, but how it happens. One of the best sequels in the film is when Ringo arranges a disguise and disappears walking the streets alone with a camera. It's just hilarious.

But what connects us is certainly the music. And in this film she proliferates with the quality that only The Beatles have until today. Their music is simply eternal and of inescapable good taste. You don't have to be a Beatles fan to enjoy the songs. All super famous: "Tell Me Why", "If I Fell", "And I Love Her", Can't Buy Me Love", "I Should Have Known Better" and of course the title of the movie.

This film is always referred to as the precursor of MTV and the reasons are obvious and are in the musical segments for sure. All the performances are worthwhile and are incredibly well edited and filmed - I'm not a big fan of the aerial shots used at times, but even those don't compromise the result of this film. It's pure fun of the best quality.

The Criterion edition leaves absolutely nothing to be desired: 3 documentaries: the first from 1994 on how the film was made, the second from 2002 with director Richard Lester and his team, the third from 2014 on the director's style (mine everyone's favorite). Audio Commentary with the cast and crew. Short films and trailers. On top of that, of course the movie on new 4K UHD disc or classic blu ray/DVD combo.

With all this how am I not going to recommend this movie? Impossible. Guaranteed fun for Beatle fans and non-fans.

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DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

• New 4K digital restoration, approved by director Richard Lester, with three audio options—a monaural soundtrack as well as stereo and 5.1 surround mixes supervised by sound producer Giles Martin at Abbey Road Studios—presented in uncompressed monaural, uncompressed stereo, and DTS-HD Master Audio on the 4K UHD and Blu-ray

• In the 4K UHD edition: One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features

• Audio commentary featuring cast and crew (dual-format and 4K UHD only)

• In Their Own Voices, a program featuring 1964 interviews with the Beatles with behind-the-scenes footage and photos

• “You Can’t Do That”: The Making of “A Hard Day’s Night,” a 1994 documentary by producer Walter Shenson including an outtake performance by the Beatles

• Things They Said Today, a 2002 documentary about the film featuring Lester, music producer George Martin, screenwriter Alun Owen, and cinematographer Gilbert Taylor (dual-format and 4K UHD only)

• Picturewise, a program about Lester’s early work, featuring a 2014 audio interview with the director (dual-format and 4K UHD only)

• The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film (1960), Lester’s Oscar-nominated short (dual-format and 4K UHD only)

• Anatomy of a Style, a 2014 program on Lester’s methods (dual-format and 4K UHD only)

• Interview from 2014 with Beatles biographer Mark Lewisohn (dual-format and 4K UHD only)

• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

• PLUS: An essay by critic Howard Hampton and excerpts from a 1970 interview with Lester (dual-format and 4K UHD only)