Review of The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years (2016) by Dan F — 22 Jan 2017

Ladies and Gentlemen...THE BEATLES!

The fab four are the subject of the 2016 documentary by director Ron Howard, with a focus on the touring years of the band.

The stories begin from the early days of the band in the Reeperbahn in Hamburg, all the way through their local tours in the north of England, and over to their tours of the US and the World.

The documentary features new footage, which is a thing in itself when you think of how hard it must now be to even find 'unseen' film of the band's live performances.

Celebrity contributions also feature in the story with tales from Whoopi Goldberg and Sigourney Weaver amongst many others (both of whom actually saw the band perform live), and of course input includes interview footage with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, with historic interview footage from John Lennon and George Harrison.

It's hard to say anything new about the band that has had more words said about it in the history of the world. Yet this film finds moments where it can do that (especially when talking about the Beatles refusing to play a segregated theatre in Jacksonville).

So much of the story is already known, but the film is at its best when not only offering story, but more context that is usually offered with Beatles footage. The elements around the civil rights movements and the atmosphere post the shooting of Kennedy, and tales of the band in that context are stand out moments in the film.

For Beatles fans it will be a must, for everyone else it will be an interesting watch, and does offer a new lens through which we're reminded of their wit, their friendship and their all-conquering, incredible talents.

8/10.