MovieChat Forums > Let It Be (2024) Discussion > Why I think this SHOULD be re-edited

Why I think this SHOULD be re-edited

posted 20 years ago by TheRowdyMan
15 replies | jump to latest

Here is a review I just wrote about Let It Be which is yet to be posted:

"The biggest problem with this movie is that the movie itself doesn't live up to it's legend. If you didn't know anything about the fab fours later years this is what you'll get out this movie: Band jamming in sound stage then cut away to band jamming in building then cut away to band jamming on roof - the end. The film only works if you have piror knowledge of the events of early 1969 that lead to the band demise. Thus film itself suffers from the same hurdle that most rock movies of this time come across: a lack of narrative. Why are they on the roof? What is the building they're jamming in, are they recording? And the sad fact is that there is footage out there that could rectify this.

In 1996's 'The Beatles Anthology' we got the scenes of the band and crew discussing the concert on the roof, talking to the camera's about why they chose a sound stage and more importantly the aims of the whole 'Get Back' project. Even some subtitles at the bottom of the screen could give this mess a bit of direction. If this film ever gets released it needs a needs a new cut, including all the meetings the band has with the crew, the on camera interviews with Paul and of course some of the tense moments that occurred while making the movie. Yes, there is the famous scene of Paul and George arguing over how the lead to 'I've Got A Feeling' should be played but for the rest of the bickering that most Beatles fans have heard on bootlegs of outtakes have all been glossed over.

On the positive side the performances are great, even if 'Let It Be' did boast some of the fabs weakest efforts the music is still worth sitting through the seemingly pointless scenes of dialogue. In saying that, 'Let It Be' is not a bad movie, in fact I'd say it's a great movie that's been poorly hacked up. This makes it only worth it if you know enough already to read between the lines."

"Goddamn motherf..ker got blood all over my best clown suit."

[–] lenmchast 20 years ago

Well said! I think that, for Beatles fans, for general rock music fans, and for anyone interested in the inner-workings of being in a band, this movie is just for you. Yes, it may seem distressing to see the disillusionment, bickering and such here; but one has to realize that this is what you come across when involved with any music group. I defy anyone who knows a band that hasn't had some tense moments in their career.

For the Beatles fans, you see the planning of a possible live concert, and just happen to see the very unsettled environment carrying over from "The White Album" to this project. And, yeah, maybe seeing the deep planning of this would be interesting. Yet, you get to see each member of this band exactly as they are, good and bad (not that it needs to paint anyone as a jerk). The indifference, the boredom, the perfectionism, and the frustration. These, however, do get tempered by the inclusion of Billy Preston during the sessions, and the eventual rooftop concert.

Overall, by showing the full movie (especially 35 years after it was made), people would see this group in an even-nobler light. They will take from this as an exposition of four good friends who just went through a rocky part of a relationship (Who hasn't been through this themselves, through close friendships, romantic relationships or marriage?) and still found a way to create and perform great music that lives on even now.

[–] outlaw_blues_ 20 years ago

While I agree that Let It Be could use a re-edit, I don't agree that it needs to hold a viewer's hand through narrative to explain everything. It's cinema-verite, it doesn't have to have a narrative, it's just supposed to show you something as it happens and ask you to think about it. After Don't Look Back came out, every band was trying their hand at cinema verite. :)

Anyways, when they do release this on DVD, it should be a two DVD set... one DVD with the 81 minute released version with trailers, promos, videos, etc on it (including all the stuff released for Let It Be Naked). The second DVD should have, at the very least, the original 210 minute edit OR a completely new edit (which isn't likely, since there is no way Paul, Ringo, Yoko and Olivia are going to agree on that). As a bonus to the 210 minute version, there should be a large selection of restored outtakes. It should also come with the book re-done for a thick DVD guide.

If and when they ever do it, it should be done right.

[–] brendanchenowith 20 years ago

WOAH! 210 minutes? Never heard of that, but I'd love to see it! I was one who'd heard about the bickering and such for years before I'd seen it, yet, when I finally did see it, I caught maybe one or two moments (I'll play whatever you want me to play - and George says no film). The audio was so wretched it took several viewings for me to decipher that.

Then, why do I like this film as much as I do? The 4 leading roles.

[–] TheRowdyMan 20 years ago

brendanchenowith says: WOAH! 210 minutes? Never heard of that, but I'd love to see it

When I posted it on in triva section a few months back I was surprised that no other Beatle fan had mention it before (and yeah I know, it SHOULD be listed under 'alternate versions'). But that info is based on the beatlefan bible 'The Complete Beatles Chronicle' by Mark "Beatles Guru" Lewisohn. However I doubt that version whould ever see the light of day has it was probably a rough cut (maybe it's also the source many of the video outtake bootlegs?).

outlaw_blues_ said: "While I agree that Let It Be could use a re-edit, don't agree that it needs to hold a viewer's hand through narrative to explain everything. It's cinema-verite, it doesn't have to have a narrative, it's just supposed to show you something as it happens and ask you to think about it"

Yes, 'Let It Be' is a cinema-verite style documentary, however the original idea of 'Let It Be' was to show the planning of a live concert via rehearsal, band meetingsm, recording sessions and (finaly) the concert itself. My problem with the 81 minute version fails the put this piont arcoss. As I said earlier, the fly-on-the-wall footage of band meetings, Paul talking to camrea, arguments and other events that have gone down in Beatle histroy are out there to give the film that narrative (on that note I wonder if the camreas were on when George walked out and quit the band. There must be something since the famous "see you 'round the clubs" line has so been quoted so often).

Sure, some title cards with dates wouldn't hurt but with all this stuff in the vault (and from what I saw on Anthology, it's all good) you don't have to have some faceless narrator to comentate: the footage would do that itself.

After the films release it's been reported that George (who was the biggest block for this film seeing the light of day) hated the film. John also hated as he felt it just carried on the myth. I not 100% percent sure on what Ringo's stance on the film is, he was the one to first spill the beans that Apple were planning on re-release it (along with the Yellow Submarine movie, the Get Back album and the 1977 Hollywood Bowl live album - well 2 out 4 so far). Paul however has been very vocal about it's re-release (infact until a chance metting with Michael Lindsay-Hogg on an plane flight, he thought it was already out on video). However whether or not we'll get the 81 minutes version or a new cut with or without the drama that went on during the making or this movie, we'll never know (I'm betting without).

If only someone could show McCartney and Lindsay-Hogg a DVD copy of the recent Metallica documentary 'Some Kind of Monster' and say "There Macca, THAT'S how it's done!"

Some Kind of Monster: http://imdb.com/title/tt0387412/combined

"Goddamn motherf..ker got blood all over my best clown suit."

[–] 20 years ago

[deleted]

[–] aimee_1992 19 years ago

It would be better if the film was longer.

[–] WhomanJim 18 years ago

I'll tell y'all ONE thing that needs to be fixed, editing-wise - the scene with Billy Preston playing his organ solo on "The Long And Winding Road" (which is in 'The Beatles Anthology') - that clip DOES NOT EVEN match up between the picture & sound. Talk about BAD EDITING there!

[–] frederik olsen 18 years ago

If they'd been clever, they would have jumped on the bandwagon and released this back when Metallica did Some Kind Of Monster. The acclaim that movie got shows that the time for releasing Let It Be is just right. Back in the day, the former Beatlemaniacs probably didn't like Paul arguing with George. Now, however, we want our idols to be as human as possible. They can't go wrong with an official release.

[–] ceedoubleyou 18 years ago

When I originally saw this movie/doco in '76-'77 at a local theatre, I had no idea what to expect. I came away thinking it was a doco on the making of the LIB album/recording. The performance on the roof was just a bit of "letting off steam", I had no idea this was the alternative to a planned concert. The movie/doco looked like they kicked some ideas around and as the movie/doco went along, the songs took shape. It wasn't till years later that one heard they were actually rehearsing for a concert. This was never alludded to during the movie/doco, ok there was the discussion between Paul and John about George reluctance to do live shows, but even then I thought the movie/doco was all about the LIB album. Duh!

[–] TheRowdyMan 18 years ago

When I originally saw this movie/doco in '76-'77 at a local theatre, I had no idea what to expect. I came away thinking it was a doco on the making of the LIB album/recording. The performance on the roof was just a bit of "letting off steam", I had no idea this was the alternative to a planned concert. The movie/doco looked like they kicked some ideas around and as the movie/doco went along, the songs took shape. It wasn't till years later that one heard they were actually rehearsing for a concert. This was never alludded to during the movie/doco, ok there was the discussion between Paul and John about George reluctance to do live shows, but even then I thought the movie/doco was all about the LIB album. Duh!

Thanks for sharing that with us. You make a good piont that in '76-'77 most people (like in 1970 just after Paul reported that he quit to the press) wouldn't have known the in-outs and outs about the Get Back project. However, people did know that there was an album called Let It Be and it was only six years since it had its first run in the theaters - so people had something to go on. Fast forward to 2007 and you sit somebody who knows little about the Beatles (they're more common today then they ever were in '76 when the Beatles music was being reissued and repromoted agian) and ask them what they think of Let It Be in its current form.

"A Squid Eating Dough in a Polyethylene Bag Is Fast and Bulbous, Got Me?"

[–] serendigity 17 years ago

Such a shame they ended up fizzling out rather than having the long talked about 'farewell' live concert. Just imagine if they'd done a free Hyde Park concert (like the Stones did)...

Also, if the DVD ever sees the light of day, I'd like the original 16mm film to be shown in it's original aspect ratio of 4:3 so we see the best quality imagery.

[–] LinkTGF 17 years ago

well 4:3 is just the aspect it was shot in - whether it was Lindsey-Hogg's INTENDED exhibition ratio is another story

Beatles Apple Scruff.

[–] FinnurE 17 years ago

I think they should dig up footage shot during the sessions, make a documentary about both the Get Back sessions and the subsequent breakdown of the band. It should definitely have some sort of coherent narrative as well as include the songs sung on the album.

http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=5184666

[–] TheRowdyMan 15 years ago

The film was indented to be 4:3 (1:37:1) as it was originally to be a television special. It was cropped (top and bottom) for cinema release and then cropped again from that print to fit home video and laserdisc (were all the bootlegs are from).

"A Squid Eating Dough in a Polyethylene Bag Is Fast and Bulbous, Got Me?"

[–] worldofbong 14 years ago

They're the BEATLES, what is there to explain? If you weren't a fan you wouldn't be watching this movie in the first place

Imo it's perfect as it is: a document of their recording/writing process in the studio and a legendary final performance. Anything else is useless and only to spoon feed the brain dead that couldn't figure out what's going on

I think this is simply a difference in the way filmmaking has devolved, it's about spoon feeding the masses now and dumbing down things as much as possible.. in the 60s and 70s there was still some integrity in film and an expectation that the viewer wasn't a retard

..or maybe not, lol - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PSVP9LuRhU