Help! (1965)

'Help!' is the second Beatles' movie, produced after 'A Hard Day's Night'. Unlike 'A Hard Day's Night', 'Help!' takes more of a story approach and is less of a documentary about the lives of the band. Ringo is the star of the show, and this was probably down to his excellent performance in 'A Hard Day's Night'. The film is about a cult who is after Ringo as a human sacrifice because of a ring that he is wearing. Along the way, they meet different characters and different locations in a James Bond style theme. Like 'A Hard Day's Night', the film contains the wacky humour , some good photography, and music clips. The photography is not as stunning as some of the scenes in 'A Hard Day's Night', however. The playing field scene in 'A Hard Day's Night' is a difficult one to beat anyway.

I slightly prefer this film to 'A Hard Day's Night' for the story value, and it is much more engaging with less slow-moving, seemingly-unscripted parts. Overall, it is much more focused. Whereas the former is more for Beatles and music enthusiasts, 'Help!' is made for a wider audience who can still enjoy the Beatles music but who can also enjoy the story. And, if you enjoy this film, check out the Monkees television series too.

Fmovies: While The Hard Days Night was like a documentary of the life of the Beatles, this movie is more like fictitious life of the Beatles. The reality is substituted with comedy, and although it's great to watch the Beatles in living color, this one isn't as good as their first attempt. The music is still great, but the Beatles are just reduced to ordinary people (if that's ever possible) in this movie. It was better if they portrayed more of their musicianship and told the story as they are it would have been even sweeter. Beatles were part of the '60s (heck, they invented the '60s) and '60s atmosphere is abundant in this movie. It really was a happier time, which makes me wonder why are we not as happy now after 40 years of development ?

Because my mother is a huge Beatles fan, I saw this movie a lot when I was a kid. It may look weak in comparison to "A Hard Day's Night," widely regarded as the "Citizen Kane" of rock musicals. But it's an easier film for a kid to relate to. Instead of a realistic, ironic mockumentary about the lives of rock stars, it's a harmless escapist fantasy that has precious little to do with the real Beatles. These are the Beatles of myth, the four asexual men who all live in the same house, which is supposed to pass for an automated futuristic type of home, at least to audiences in the 1960s. I suppose that as a kid I got a kick out of the idea of having a vending machine in one's own home. Somehow, I never asked myself what the advantage of that would be, and the film never does, either.

Looking back on the film as an adult, I have a hard time determining what it is I liked about it. Certainly, I can't remember laughing at any of the jokes. In fact, I was vaguely aware that most of the jokes fall flat. (In contrast, the Monkees' TV show, modeled heavily on this movie, was often quite funny.) The superintendent who does a bad Cagney imitation and inexplicably begins every sentence with the words "So this is the famous...." left me staring at the screen blankly. This is quintessential British humor, revolving heavily around people's nonchalant reactions to bizarre events. It's a brand of humor that has great potential to be funny; here, it's just strange, probably because none of the ideas are all that inspired. The idea of a tiger who likes Beethoven might have sounded good on paper, I suppose, but it doesn't come together on screen. I suppose it could have been used as the setup for a funnier joke; instead, it's used as the punchline. At least I was able to "get" that joke when I was a kid. Many of the other jokes involve references that went over my head, such as the line "It's the brain drain: his brain's draining." Those sophisticated enough to know what the brain drain is are likely to be too old to appreciate such a pedestrian pun.

The Beatles themselves do not emerge in this film as talented comic actors, to put it mildly. Their line readings are wooden, their comic timing is off, and their apparent attempts at improvisation are pathetic, as in their continual "ho ho ho"ing throughout the film. The Beatles were supposed to have been very funny on stage and in interviews, but none of that ability translates to the screen. It may not have been their fault. The characters they play are given no identifiable traits, and as a result they come off as interchangeable, except for Ringo because of his role in the plot. Instead of giving them distinct comic personas to play, the film turns them into straight-men who are the victims of a zany, insane world that's conspiring against them. This is presumably what led the real Beatles to complain that the film reduced them to "extras in (their) own movie."

So why do I have so much affection for the film? Probably because I was just sort of enchanted by the events. The movie has a lot of the types of scenes that delight kids, like the aforementioned automated house, as well as a ton of weird gadgets. The various methods in which the Beatles attempt to remove the dreaded ring from Ringo's finger is the best aspect of the film, plot-wise. It may not make me laugh, but there still is a certain pleasure in watching these scenes. Besides, I've alw

Help! fmovies. "Help" is a nice companion movie to "A Hard Days Night". It is filmed in color, and while it doesn't have the classic look of black and white "Hard Days Night", the script is better, and the Beatles appear more relaxed acting. The music is very good. Ringo, often in the background during in concerts and on recordings, proves he is the best actor of the Fab Four. Paul, John and George come across the screen as genuine and charismatic. "Help!" is filmed in different locations as well, which add to the film's quality. To me, the Beatles are the greatest rock group in history. Before there was MTV, there was "A Hard Days Night" and "Help!". Nothing in music can top that.

Help is one of those fast paced knockabout films of the 60s, when comedies didn't have to make sense; they just had to be whacky, colourful, fast and fun. This film is certainly all of the above.

Dick Lester had a great command of what was going on culturally at the time and his command really shows through in his frenetic directing style. He is definitely a pioneer, and this is a landmark film. You can see the influence of this movie coming out in the colour episodes of I Dream of Jeannie, the Monkees, and 60s cult favourites such as Arabesque.

The film is generally fun and enjoyable, but it is a 60s period piece, so it may not be for all. Film buffs and film school students will definitely get something out of it, but 60s buffs and especially Beatles fans will love it. Not a bad film by any means, but you have to be in the mood.

...What kind of movie, you might ask? Comedy? Spy Thriller? Or just zany madcap nonsense? It doesn't matter. I've seen it many times over the past 30 years and it just gets better with age. The music of course, is phenomenal-and you don't have to be a die-hard Beatles fan to appreciate this musical comedy masterpiece.

Rating: ***** out of *****