A film that’s by turns funny, iconic and groundbreaking, A Hard Day’s Night is the perfect encapsulation of the phenomenon that was Beatlemania, combined with a distinctly 1960s aesthetic and Richard Lester’s own wryly subversive sense of humour.

There is also something of a symbiotic relationship between the film and The Beatles themselves. The film capitalised on the bands popularity, capturing their youthful energy and incorrigible humour at a pivotal moment in their evolution, but subsequently the success of the film was integral in cementing their global iconic status.

I’ve talked about how much I love Richard Lester before on this site, but this is perhaps the strongest distillation of his style. In The Beatles he found the perfect subject for his anarchic sensibilities. Lester sets the tone from the opening seconds, as we see the band fleeing hordes of admiring fans, and George Harrison immediately stacks it, falling flat on his face as John Lennon howls with laughter. A more conventional director might have reshot this to preserve the band’s cool image, but Lester embraces these moments of silliness and authenticity from the band, capturing a candid spirit that defines the entire film.

The plot (such as it is) is just the fab four (Lennon, Harrison, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr) travelling to London for a televised concert, accompanied by McCartney’s “very clean” grandfather (Wilfred Brambell). The playfully witty script by Alun Owen frames the journey as a series of loose vignettes, interspersed with musical performances of some of the band’s best songs. This structure suits Lester perfectly, allowing him to indulge in visual gags, surreal moments, and stylishly constructed sequences which suit both him and The Beatles perfectly. The result is irreverent, incisively satirical, and refreshingly self-aware.

The film was shot consecutively, with each of The Beatles noticeably gaining confidence in their performances as the film goes on. This is especially clear with Lennon and McCartney, who are a bit hesitant and stilted early on, but are clearly enjoying themselves by the film’s end. By contrast, Harrison and Starr arrive with more fully realised personas. George is the curiously verbose, philosophical one – his scene with the marketing “trend setter” executive is still my favourite in the film (“She’s a drag. A well-known drag. We turn the sound down on her and say rude things“). It’s well known now that Ringo was the most at ease on film, but he’s still a bit of a revelation, playing the hangdog drummer with melancholy charm, delivering understated physical comedy and quiet pathos during his solo wander through London.

The supporting cast is a treasure trove of old school British comic actors, from Norman Rossington and John Junkin as the bands manager and roadie, to the wonderful Victor Spinetti as the constantly exasperated studio director. Every dry line reading drips with disdain, even as he borders on a nervous breakdown (“If he says that again, I’ll strike him.”)

It’s a playful film but there’s a sharp satirical undercurrent here as well. In one scene, the band slip out of a press conference unnoticed by the self-involved journalists. In another, an executive fails to recognise George Harrison despite him sitting directly in front of him. These moments speak volumes about celebrity, class, and image — all filtered through Lester’s absurdist lens. On top of this the film captures the rebellious nature of 1960s cinema – the band are all portrayed as anti-establishment, kicking against the various authority figures of the film, best represented by the grumpy man on the train who claims he fought the war for their sort. (“I bet you’re sorry you won.”)

The soundtrack, of course, is stellar. I’ll admit I’m not impartial – A Hard Day’s Night is my favourite Beatles album – but the songs are among their very best. If I Fell, And I Love Her, and I Should Have Known Better are all shot with real cinematic flair. The Can’t Buy Me Love sequence alone is an innovative precursor to the modern music video, that still feels fresh and inventive. The climactic concert performance ties it all together beautifully, as well as providing context for why the band was such a cultural phenomenon.

A Hard Day’s Night is a playfully subversive portrait of a cultural explosion happening in real time. It’s a near-perfect meeting of director and subject, with Lester’s modern, anarchic style the ideal match for The Beatles’ rebellious personalities. Blending satire, slapstick, and social commentary, it’s an invaluable artefact of film and pop music, capturing the spirit of its era while somehow still feeling refreshing and vibrant today.

Special Features

This is a curious release from Criterion, given that Second Sight had a decent edition of A Hard Day’s Night for it’s 50th anniversary. The Criterion release was initially limited to the US but now I suspect this will replace the previous edition. Both versions were based on the same print and there are a lot of shared special features, so there’s little difference between them, but what makes this release stand out more is the inclusion of Lester’s short, The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film, which I’d never seen before. It’s a great dry run for the iconic Can’t Buy Me Love scene, with an amazing comedy pedigree – Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers and more.

A Hard Day’s Night is out now from Criterion Collection: https://amzn.dp/B0F5BFQZBN