Over five decades after its release, The Beatles A Hard Day’s Night has aged very well, and is not dated; it stands outside its time, its genre, and even rock music. It is one of the great life-affirming landmarks of musical movies.
When it opened in September 1964, many critics attended the viewing, prepared to condemn, but the movie could not be disregarded. The Beatles were already a huge phenomenon, but not yet the icons they would soon become. It was clear from the onset that this movie was very different from anything audiences had ever seen. It was wickedly smart, it didn’t take itself too seriously, and it was brilliantly shot and edited by Richard Lester in black-and-white, in a semi-documentary style that followed the boys during 36 hours in their lives.
The lads play an augmented version of themselves (John was more caustic, Paul more boyishly charming, etc.), and the result is a representation of Beatlemania magnified. They are chased through train stations, down...
