Tom Dunne: Let It Be film a reminder of how great The Beatles really were

Back in 1970, Let It Be marked the end of an era for distraught fans, but the benefit of hindsight has made the film into a far more enjoyable affair

Thu, 16 May, 2024 - 02:00

Tom Dunne

Context. It’s all about context. You can’t watch the Beatles 1970s film Let it Be (on Disney+ at last) the way audiences would have then. At this remove we can’t appreciate the horror, the dread it engendered in young Beatles fans. But trust me, the pain was real.

For a start, we’ve all seen too many brilliantly shot amateur WhatsApp videos. Without ever having studied film you’d still feel obliged to offer notes. “Better lighting,” you’d suggest, and maybe “provide more context, any context at all.” But it’s the emotional heft we really miss. For young fans in 1970, Let it Be was the moment they realised that The Beatles really were over. It was a new decade and one in which it was obvious, that The Beatles no longer wanted to hold anybody’s hand.