Backbeat-Movie Review 07/07/2013
Posted by dbinder in Based on true events, Beatles, Biographical, British, Movies.Tags: astrid kircherr, beatles tour, stu sutcliffe
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BACKBEAT (British) 1994
Directed by Iain Softley
Starring Ian Hart, Stephen Dorff, and Sheryl Lee
A look at the Beatles tour of Hamburg, just as they are about to burst into stardom. While following the teenage musicians as they get their first tastes of success, this movie focuses on the relationship-almost-love-triangle between John Lennon (Hart), his very close friend from Liverpool, Stu Sutcliffe (Dorff), and German photographer Astrid Kircherr (Lee). Stu must choose between his place in the band and his love for painting and for Astrid, but he comes to a tragic end.
I have watched several Beatles-related movies lately, and while this is not one of the best, and is criticized as not totally historically accurate, Backbeat does shed some light on the band’s early days. Astrid’s black and white photographs of those times have become iconic. She was interviewed for the movie as was Klaus Voormann, her musician-artist friend, who remained tangentially connected with the Beatles.
Not a big award winner, either; check the few here.
100 min. Rated R.
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