The Beatles’ ‘Let It Be’ Film Is Still Sad, Even After a Vibrant Peter Jackson Restoration
variety.comJem Aswad Executive Editor, Music (This article is unintentionally a counterpoint to my colleague Owen Gleiberman’s considerably more-positive take on the Beatles‘ “Let It Be” film, restored by Peter Jackson and released today on Disney+.) When I was a Beatles-obsessed seven-year-old, my mother, in an act of selfless parental love, took me to a Fab Four film festival: “Hard Day’s Night,” “Let It Be,” “Yellow Submarine” and “Help!,” one after the other.
My mom was a cool assistant professor of English at the local university who dressed “hip,” loved music and picked up some listening habits from her students.
My obsession began after she brought home the “Sgt. Pepper” album a year or two earlier. “Hard Day’s Night” was the Beatles the world fell in love with — sweet songs, charming cheeky personalities, matching clothes, screaming girls, moptops.
But “Let It Be” was so different: the Beatles as grown-ups, real people who weren’t always joking around or even friendly, Paul’s cherubic face hidden beneath an unkempt beard and greasy hair.
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