Night (1964) Is a Rock Mockumentary Intended

¶ … Night (1964) is a rock mockumentary intended to exploit the Beatles and Beatlemania during the band's meteoric rise. The film attempts to capture the Beatles as they struggle to deal with their sudden success and the subsequent lack of privacy that ensued. Although the film is not a true documentary, as it is a fictionalized interpretation of a documentary, it embodies several characteristics of the film style including the use of non-professional actors, music that everyone can hear, and the reconstruction of "historical" events.

The first two characteristics are intrinsically connected as A Hard Day's Night follows a group of musicians, the Beatles, as they make their way to London from Liverpool via train in order to perform on a television show. Much like a documentary, the film makes use of non-professional actors to drive the narrative, however because the film is not a true documentary, but rather a fictionalized representation thereof, there are also a variety of professional actors that are interspersed within the narrative. For example, Paul McCartney's "grandfather" is played by Wilfrid Brambell, an Irish actor best known for his work on the television show Steptoe and Son. Furthermore, there is a running gag within the film's narrative in which Brambell is continuously referred to as a "clean old man" whereas his character in Steptoe and Son is often referred to as a "dirty old man" ("A Hard Day's Night 1964"). Despite the use of professional actors to help drive the narrative, and provide a bit of comic relief, the film, for the most part, focuses on the Beatles, who had no previous acting experience. However, because this film is a fictional narrative, it can be said that it helped to launch the acting careers of the Fab Four as the group, collectively and individually, would go on to participate in other film and television roles.

The second characteristic is closely tied to the subjects of the film and could not exist with them. Because music is one of the central elements of the film, it is presented in a variety of manners, including as accompaniment for the action that ensues, as well as performances done by the band. The film sought to capitalize on the musical success of the Beatles including the mass of screaming girls that appeared to follow the band wherever they went. As a rock mockumentary, the Beatles success is dependent on their music, as well as their charming personalities, and it is the film's purpose and responsibility to convey how the band's success has impacted them, personally and professionally, even if it is a fictionalized account.

The third characteristic, the recreation of "historical" events also plays a major role in the narrative of A Hard Day's Night. Because the film does not make use of unscripted footage, but rather depends and follows an established, and fictionalized narrative, all the action that occurs is a recreation of "historical events." Moreover, the film seeks to recreate the media and fan frenzy that followed the Beatles and eventually became known as Beatlemania. While the events that occur in the film did not really happen and were scripted, it is a near accurate reflection of the public's reaction to the band.