|
| .. |
|
|
BACKBEAT
Collector's Edition
Review by Michael Jacobson
Stars:
Stephen Dorff, Ian Hart, Sheryl Lee
Director: Iain Softley
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Studio: Universal
Features: See Review
Length: 140 Minutes
Release Date: January 25, 2005
"There
goes Stuart Sutcliffe...he could have been in The Beatles."
I
remember when I first saw the trailer for Backbeat and how immediately
excited I got about it. "They've
made a movie about The Beatles in Hamburg, with Stu Sutcliffe!" I exclaimed to
the girl sitting next to me. And
then I had to explain who Stu Sutcliffe was.
Being
a long time die hard Beatles fan, my friends and I knew Sutclffe's name pretty
much as well as those of Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr.
More casual fans probably also could identify Pete Best.
But Stuart Sutcliffe wasn't as readily known.
For
the unfamiliar, Backbeat is an entertaining gem of a film that will fill
you in on a piece of pop music history. Stu
Sutcliffe (Dorff) was a promising art school mate and best friend of John Lennon
(Hart). Because of his friendship
for John, he agreed to use the money he won in a painting contest to buy a bass.
And before long he and John, along with George, Paul and Pete, were on
their way to Hamburg. The year was
1961.
Hamburg
was a grueling and eye-opening experience for the lads from Liverpool.
They lived in tight, grungy quarters.
They played long sets night after night, frequently sharing the stage
with strippers and other sex show oddities.
They got better and tighter as a band. And
Stu Sutcliffe met Astrid (Lee) and began a new course in his life.
Stu
was a talented painter, but, as he would admit frequently, not much of a
musician. His lack of talent and
dwindling interest made him a liability to the band, even though his friend John
stuck stalwartly by him. By the
time the lads returned for their second stint in Hamburg, Stu would be on his
way to marrying his new German sweetheart, enrolling in a prestigious art
college, and dropping out of the group.
At
the beginning of the film, we see John and Stu beaten by a bunch of thugs in a
dark alley. A kick to the head
would cause Stu terrible and frequent headaches for the rest of his life.
And tragically, the night before The Beatles returned to Hamburg for the
third time, and the first time as a quartet, Stu died of a brain hemorrhage.
That's
the true story this film tells, with plenty of accuracy and only a few minor
embellishments...much fewer than most pictures based on fact would take.
As co-written and directed by Iain Softley, the heart of this story is
the friendship between John and Stu. It
was a friendship that helped forage the greatest rock and roll band in history
before one went on to become a legend and the other quietly bowed out and left
not only the music scene, but the world as well.
The
cast is terrific, starting with the two male leads. Ian Hart had portrayed John Lennon once before in the solid
independent film The Hours and Times. Here,
he gets to kick up his heels more with plenty of stage time and a wider range of
emotions to pour through. He is
thoroughly excellent...sometimes watching him is like seeing a ghost come back
to life.
Stephen
Dorff is also superb as Stuart Sutcliffe, looking eerily like the late painter
and bass player and countering Hart for some of the picture's most dynamic
scenes.
The
music is possibly the real star, with a supergroup of alternative artists
recreating the raw, savage sound of The Beatles in their Hamburg days.
The actors all look reasonably like they're actually playing their
instruments, which is always a key point with me.
According to the commentary, they learned the songs well enough to
actually play them for the movie's wrap party!
It's
not a perfect film...there are a few slow stretches here and there.
To be honest, my attention sometimes drifts when the focus is on Stu and
Astrid rather than Stu and John or the whole band.,
even though Astrid WAS responsible for influencing the early image of The
Beatles with her photographs and introducing them to the mop-top hair
styles. But the visualization of a legendary band in their most
formative years remains a vital and energizing treat for me.
I
can't say how much non-Beatles fans might care for this movie, but being that
I don't think a whole lot of them exist, this is probably one I can recommend
with minimal reservation.
Video
***1/2
This
anamorphic transfer from Universal boasts terrific coloring and a noticeable
improvement over the original DVD release. The
tones are rich, vibrant and natural, and most of the film is an unqualified
treat to look at. High marks overall.
Audio
****
Now
THIS is how this music was supposed to sound...raw, loud, and all over your
living room! The new 5.1 remix is a treat, not only for bringing out the
life in these classic rock songs, but for a better overall presentation that
seems more ambient and clear, with the rear stage opening up the crowd scenes
more and the .1 giving the tunes the extra kick. Spoken words sound great,
and dynamic range is strong.
Features
***
The
disc mentions Iain Softley's commentary, but it fails to mention that both Ian
Hart and Stephen Dorff are also included (Dorff edited in).
It's not one of the better commentaries...for starters, it's
frequently sparse for good sized gaps. There were moments when I forgot the thing was even on, and
when they started talking, it startled me!
There
are also some deleted scenes, interviews with Messrs. Softley and Hart, a short
featurette, director's essay, casting sessions and a stills gallery.
There is an audio interview with Astrid Kirchherr that includes as visuals some
of her photos and some of Stu's paintings, plus a new half-hour interview with
Iain Softley for The Sundance Channel. Missing is the original trailer...too
bad; it was a good one.
Summary:
