The Strange Case of Help!

As The Beatles became more famous, their mobility, dignity, and personal freedoms significantly suffered as they were no longer just people-- they were a projection of what their fans and the media expected and imagined them to be as infallible idols. These projections were dehumanizing as The Beatles were no longer seen as people but rather a product of the music industry where their fame was aggressively being capitalized upon at the expense of their humanity. The extent of this outcome had gotten to the point that they were considered a liability at their own concerts where riots among fans and non-fans had become the norm. The reality of their fame going out of control could not be ignored that it began to seep into their image through photos and film. In the movie Help!, The Beatles are portrayed as victims of the chaos that surrounded their fame and are objectified as seen in their disappearing individual identities and increasingly distant relationship with their fans.



Compared to their first movie, A Hard Day’s Night, The Beatles were no longer in control of their environment. In the first film, the members had mobility and were not dictated by the conditions of their surroundings. In a particular scene, the group has the ability to spontaneously walk out of the studio where they were held “captive” in preparation for a live television performance. As they walk out, they happily rush down a flight of stairs into an open field and enjoy their freedom as the song “Can’t Buy Me Love” plays in the background. This mobility is missing throughout Help! where the group does not move to exercise their freedom but to stay alive. This is especially noticeable when the band resorts to seeking police protection in the film when they realize their safety is at risk.

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A scene from the movie Help! The Beatles are playing in Salisbury Plain where they are surrounded by armed men and tanks. The scene is symbolic of the high security measures the group found themselves in as they became increasingly popular. Performing in concert was becoming dangerous as the crowds grew larger and larger and the fans more fanatic than ever.

The relationship the group had with their fans was becoming distant in Help!. In one scene, the group is performing “I Need You” in an open field. What stands out in this scene is that the band is surrounded by tanks and armed men, which represents the level of security they actually needed to have in real life whenever they performed during their concerts. In A Hard Day’s Night, this level of security is not needed as The Beatles are able to roam fearlessly among their fans (this is referring to the scene where the group is in a train compartment and are surrounded by female fans as they sing “I Should Have Known Better”). As they became more famous, their need for security increased, which, in turn, distanced themselves from their fans. This is also portrayed in this particular scene where the audience is absent as the band is performing. The only “audience” that is present are the armed men and tanks that surround the group.

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Song intro to the movie Help! The lack of a unique identity for each member is a prominent theme that is echoed throughout the film. In this image, the members have taken uniformity to an extreme level as they are wearing the same outfit.

The Beatles are shown to have lost their sense of authenticity and individuality in the film. Their identities as average guys have been replaced with a single identity where they are consumers who lavish in outrageous luxuries and engage in abnormal behaviors. In the beginning of the movie, each member is seen entering their own homes, which is revealed to actually be a single home that is filled with random and impractical gadgets that they find pleasure in using. The setting portrays the convergence of their personalities into a single one that is defined by a consumer culture where wealth is spent on vapid luxuries, which is a contrast to their roots as working class men who rebelled against bourgeois ideals. In A Hard Day’s Night, each member is shown to have a unique personality and are honest about themselves in a scene where they answer questions for interviewers at a press meeting. Their personalities are non-existent in Help! as portrayed by their animated, mechanical demeanor and lack of wit. Their abnormal behavior represents the turning point to their fame as they are no longer human but rather products of the music industry that can be controlled.

The two films portray The Beatles under different lights: A Hard Day’s Night emphasizes the band’s authenticity and mobility whereas Help! shows how the group has lost their identities and are at the mercy of their surroundings. These films are a reflection of the reality that The Beatles have found themselves in where their fame has spiraled out of control, leading to concerns about their safety to cities viewing them as liabilities during concert performances. The Beatles have appeared to suffer from these consequences where they were no longer average guys but figures who represented something bigger: their opinions were taken seriously and offended others, they represented Western ideals that threatened other cultures, and they were a vital component to consumer culture. Help! reveals this dark side to fame in an absurd and surreal manner where The Beatles are no longer human but are objectified and animated to the likes of their fans and the music industry.