Jackson’s Monument to the Beatles Earns Its Eight Hours

Peter Jackson built a monument out of film stock, and it mostly works. The Beatles: Get Back runs nearly eight hours across three episodes on Disney+, and it earns almost every second of that runtime. This is not a polished, clean version of the band. It is a fly-on-the-wall look at four men trying to record an album, argue through the night, and decide whether they want to keep playing together at all.

Jackson compiled the footage from over 60 hours of unseen material, much of it shot for the original 1970 documentary. That original doc was directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg. Jackson treats his own project as a supplement, not a replacement, and that humility shows in the editing. He lets the cameras roll, lets the arguments happen, and lets the magic come through when the band finally plays.

Trailer, via Disney.

The Footage

The footage comes from a period of 21 days of studio time, with each episode covering roughly one week. That means the series tracks the band through a full cycle of recording sessions, rehearsals, and the famous rooftop concert at London’s Savile Row. For the first time, the full performance appears in its entirety.

The series is co-produced by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono, and Olivia Harrison, and it premiered with three consecutive daily releases starting 25 November 2021. A portion of it, titled The Beatles: Get Back – The Rooftop Concert, got a theatrical release in IMAX theatres across numerous US cities on 30 January 2022, followed by international releases between 11 and 13 February 2022, and on DVD and Blu-ray on 12 July 2022.

The Band’s Process

The heart of the series is the creative tension between the four members. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr are all caught in candid, sometimes uncomfortable moments. The cameras capture the band arguing over arrangements, trading jokes, and the occasional sharp edge between them.

The series also covers the making of the 1970 album Let It Be, which had the working title Get Back. That title now sits at the center of the project, both as the album’s original name and as the series’ own.

What Works

Jackson’s approach pays off in several ways:

1. The rawness of the footage gives the viewer a sense of being there.
2. The editing holds together despite the sprawling length.
3. The rooftop performance remains the centerpiece, staged for the first time in its entirety.

Some viewers will find the runtime exhausting, and the series does lean heavily on digital smoothing effects to clean up the old film. Those are fair criticisms, but they don’t undercut the core achievement.

The Rooftop Performance

The final episode builds to the Savile Row performance, and it arrives with real weight. The band plays on the roof of the building, and the performance itself carries the moment. It is a genuine high point, one that stands as the clearest proof of why the band mattered.

The Legacy

Jackson’s documentary adds context to the mythology. It shows the band in transition, unsure of its future, and still capable of producing some of the best music it ever made. The series doesn’t resolve the tension between the four men, but it captures it fully.

Jackson calls the series “a documentary about a documentary,” and that framing fits. It is a record of a record, and it treats both with equal care.

The critical reception has been strong, though some reviewers flagged the runtime and the digital effects. Those concerns are valid, but they are minor complaints against a major accomplishment.

The Beatles: Get Back is a landmark in music documentary. It is long, occasionally messy, and entirely essential.

The comparison below shows how the series stacks up against the original 1970 documentary:

Beatles · classic rock · Documentary · Get Back · Peter Jackson