Disney Plus’ new three-episode special, “The Beatles: Get Back,” unloads over eight hours of film documenting musical sensations John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison. The documentary series chronicles the Beatles’ “Let it Be” project as they prepare for their first live performance in more than two years. The songs were to be written and rehearsed in less than a month’s time, with the artistic process being completely documented and then edited down and retouched into this miraculous miniseries.

The episodes, which are about two hours each, are deeply personal and instructive, as you are taken along through the entire process for creating music with one of the most famous bands in the world. The film is so raw that at times it feels like you are in the room with the musicians, observing them constructing the songs first hand. The visuals are crisp and clear, making you believe that you’re watching a more modern movie, as opposed to film from 1969. 

Although the process is fascinating, it also shows a new, serious side to the Beatles, different from the playfulness they are known for. The episodes reveal arguments and feelings of dislike towards one another during the project. The four sit in a single room throughout the entire month to write and rehearse the songs, as tensions rise between the band members; arguments and disagreements are inevitable given the task at hand. There are times when some do not show up, or walk out after a disagreement, with the first episode ending in a major cliffhanger.

The hours of film conclude with the famous rooftop performance, in which the band serenades the streets of London. The final eight hours of film produced give an intimate view into the lives of the Beatles during their month at Twickenham Studios. There are moments of happiness as the men laugh and joke with one another, and their humanity is really on display, despite their fame.  

The episodes are highly entertaining in the sense that you are able to experience the creation of music through these talented songwriters and musicians who are also both blunt and serious. I do believe that you must be dedicated to completing the eight-hour series and being a big Beatles fan is a helpful motivation. To some, the film might seem boring as it is really just displaying Lennon, McCartney, Starr and Harrison in their natural habitat, and is not scripted to be eventful or climactic. For a true fan, “The Beatles: Get Back” is just what they’ll want: A completely raw film of the Beatles doing what they do best, making music. 

Grade: A-