This may be the best rock biopic you will ever see about
George Harrison. It shouldn’t surprise you as it was produced by Martin Scorsese
and Olivia Harrison. It is filled with personal photos and film footage taken
by Harrison and the other Beatles, and is narrated throughout by some of the people
who knew and loved him the most.
That’s not to say that this is a marathon of celebrities
stating how “Beatle George” affected, or influenced, them. Rather it is a film
made by those closest to him, about him. Along the way Mr. Scorsese manages to
extract the most telling interviews with George concerning fame, fortune and
religion. Mr. Harrison’s take on religion was not so far removed from what he
terms the concept of God being “a man in the sky”, which he originally
rejected.
After delving into the sitar Mr. Harrison also embarked on a
spiritual journey. He began in San Francisco, where he expected to see an
enlightened community populated by people who had found some sort of inner
peace. Instead he found sloth, rampant recreational use of LSD, and commercialism
beyond belief. He promptly fled the scene after his famous walk through Golden
Gate Park.
When he got to India he was lured into the Hindu teachings in
a very simple way. He had always been taught, from birth, that you only needed
to have Faith in God’s existence. But in India it was accepted that one cannot
believe what he cannot see or feel for themselves. And, further, that this
belief was valid.
His relationship with Ravi Shankar is explored and there is
some film of George and Ravi weaving together on the sitar and guitar, melding
the East and West into one. The film is so insightful and informative that you
come away from it feeling as if you have met Mr. Harrison for the very first
time; having misunderstood him for all these years.
Eric Clapton pays homage to not only his friend, but also to
the creativity of the Beatles. He even tells the story of how he got to be on “While
My Guitar Gently Weeps”, and the anxiety he felt about performing with them.
Klaus Voorman and Astrid Kirchherr, the two German friends
from Hamburg days, give their first impressions of meeting both the Beatles and
George, and how that relationship affected them, as well as influenced their
own artistry. Their descriptions of the friendship post Hamburg; including the
LSD trip which led to John writing “I Am the Walrus”; make this film even
better. Klaus went on to do the cover for the Beatles album “Revolver” and also
became the bass player in the original Plastic Ono Band.
Yoko Ono weighs in with some delightfully unguarded comments
about meeting George and how he perceived her as a fellow artist, rather than
an enemy. George Martin is fatherly in his affection for Mr. Harrison, and Paul
McCartney talks of their first meeting and how he convinced John to hear George
play.When he performed “Raunchy”; atop a double decker Liverpool bus one night;
he was in the group.
This film is a delightful treat. I am the type who usually
gets up several times during a film, either to eat or stretch. This film had me
in my chair for the entire first disc, which runs about 94 minutes. There is
also a second disc with bonus features and performances which runs about 2
hours.
Whether or not you were ever a fan of the Beatles; or even
George Harrison; you will not leave this film “empty handed.” This film will
lift you up while also making you take a closer look at your own system of
beliefs. Surprisingly; whether you are an atheist, a Christian, a Jew, or even
a Buddhist; this film will touch you in a very personal way.
