← Back to Films
A Hard Day's Night (1964)
DVD (2 discs
+ 1 features
)
Blu-ray (1 discs
)
Digital ✓
Genre: Comedy
Aspect Ratio: Wide
Sound: DD 5.1
Academy Awards:
2 Nominations
Synopsis
Fame can be thrilling, exhausting and utterly absurd all at once, especially when you're the most famous band in the world. Richard Lester's "A Hard Day's Night" marked the big-screen debut of the Beatles, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. Nobody expected much more than a quick cash-in on a passing musical craze, but when it opened, the film instantly won over the world, and even the stuffiest critics raved. Wisely, screenwriter Alun Owen based his script on the Beatles' real-life fame at the time, capturing them in the dizzying early days of Beatlemania as they dodge screaming fans, kill time on trains and in hotel rooms and prepare for a TV broadcast in London. Along for the ride is Paul's mischievous, troublemaking grandfather (Wilfrid Brambell), and a frazzled TV director (Victor Spinetti) tries to keep everything on schedule. Lester, an American director influenced by the freewheeling French New Wave and the absurd humor of Britain's "Goon Show," whips up a joyful circus of constant motion. From the opening scene of the four racing through a train station mobbed by fans, it rarely stops for breath. Some songs are presented simply, but others soar with invention, especially "Can't Buy Me Love," set to the four romping around an empty field. Above all, the Beatles show off their irresistible personalities: dry, deadpan and infectiously cheeky. The title came from one of Ringo's offhand remarks after a long day. Owen's script and George Martin's musical score earned Oscar nominations, and its playful style helped inspire the modern music video. Few films capture such pure cinematic joy.
Cast
Paul McCartney
John Lennon
George Harrison
Ringo Starr
Victor Spinetti
Director
Richard Lester
Awards & Nominations
- Oscar Nominee: Best Music, Original Music Score
- Oscar Nominee: Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
Keywords
Classics
Comedy
Music
Rock 'N' Roll
Technical Specifications
Audio Languages
English, French
Subtitle Languages
English
Special Features
- Audio commentary
- Cast biographies/profiles/filmographies
- DVD-ROM content
- Interviews
- Promotional Specials
- Audio commentary featuring cast and crew
- In Their Own Voices, a new piece combining 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
- Picturewise, a new piece about Lester's early work
- The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film (1960), Lester's Oscar-nominated short
- Anatomy of a Style. a new piece on Lester's methods
- Interview with author Mark Lewisohn
- An essay by critic Howard Hampton