Powerful

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

For a Beatle fan (like me) this 10 hour documentary was both thrilling and just a little disappointing. Thrilling because all the music has been re-mixed, re-mastered and sounds great, because there are lots of details that, even as I fan, I didn't know, because there's more insight than offered elsewhere into their breakup, and more important, into what held them together. A good job is done of combining new interviews with the then 3 living Beatles, and recorded interviews with John from many sources, so his views and insights aren't missing. The last couple of hours go deeper than I suspected, and were quite moving. On the disappointment side there are a few issues. First, at least for me, much of the first half got repetitive. Not much new insight into the birth or meaning of Beatlemania, just lots (and lots and lots) of concert and TV footage, often of them playing the same songs, sometimes obviously just lip-syncing to records. Also, their personal lives are left out entirely. I understand not focusing on relationships, etc, but there's virtually no mention of wives, divorces, affairs, children, or how any of that intersected with their music and work. Last, I was sorry it didn't go deeper into the creation of the music itself. While there are lot of great tidbits from the group and George Martin about specific songs, considering there was 10 hours of program, I didn't get enough of how they worked, how they wrote, how they influenced each other. Nor do we get much of their personal views of the world, politics, etc. And somehow the sense of how much their brief 7 years meant to music and to world culture seems missing, or at least not really explored.Yet, whatever was missing, I tore through the 10 hours in 2 nights, and would have happily seen more.

I was watching parts 8 and 9 period covering Magical Mystery Tour to Hey Jude with my nine year old son and his friend. They both knew all the songs and said how much they liked them. During the I am the Walrus performance from Magical Mystery Tour they were really curious as to which Beatle was the walrus. Well we all know the Walrus was Paul so I told them. My point is these two kids love the Beatles just as I did when I was 9 and just as I do now. The magic lives on. The Beatles Anthology is probably the most comprehensive film or video bio ever released. It covers so much information and because so many songs are discussed we are reminded again of how great they really were. These DVD have some flaws , there is some camera trickery here or there that is intrusive, song and filmed performances are sometimes interrupted by commentary . For example Hey Jude is cut away from,and also some interviews. It is amazing how much footage there is of the Beatles. For a Beatles fan (and who isn't) this is essential viewing.

In the Beatles Anthology, the three still living Beatles at the time and other insiders review the mythic story of the Beatles in their own point of view. Including every Beatle event imaginable like Shea Stadium or the Ed Sullivan show, George, Paul, and Ringo comment- along with John's comments from interviews before he died. It also includes interesting insight on many of the songs written- especially on the Sgt. Pepper songs, "Penny Lane", and "Strawberry Fields Forever"Now, when on Monday it will have been three years since George passed, and nearly twenty-four since John's assassination, this documentary is an amazing way to remember the boys and everything they did and impacted the world with.It also includes two unreleased songs, "Free As a Bird" and "Real Love", songs John wrote and the others collaborated on.This documentary is the best to remember the Beatles by.

Having just finished watching this entire series I will keep this short as it is as close to speechless I think I will ever become:It's been said to me countless times of films that are well over two hours long. It's always something to the effect that the time just flies by and before you know it. . .it's over. I've never known that to be quite as true as it was for The Beatles Anthology. Each episode is well over an hour long, and there are eight of them, but it never seemed like there was a wasted moment. It progressed as eloquently as the band did itself, with ever scene and interview being a logical step forward.I am a huge Beatles fan, but really didn't expect to like this. I'm not sure why I thought I wouldn't, but something just didn't seem right about it. I'm glad I didn't go with that feeling. It is truly awesome and congers up every emotion I think I'm capable of. I know plenty of people who are not Beatles fans, but I would encourage them to still give this a chance since it really is so much more than just the story of a band.