Customer Reviews

Stuart Sutcliffe - The Lost Beatle

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This film about original Beatles member Stuart Sutcliffe was manna to a baby boomer Beatlemaniac like myself, who was 13 when Hard Day's Night was released. At that time the Beatles were much more than a top band; they WERE us, representing and leading all our creative urges, anti-establishment feelings, desire for something new, different, hip. And the imagery was (like much of the film's imagery) in black and white: the movie, Pop Weekly magazine, tv appearances, newspaper photos. Black Cuban-heeled boots, black narrow knitted ties, black polo neck sweaters, grey mohair suits.

Stuart Sutcliffe's contribution to the Beatles was considerable. A highly talented artist and creator, he bolstered John's considerable imagination and lent an artsy, more sophisticated influence to what could otherwise have conceivably remnained just another garage band. It was Stuart who bonded with Hamburg hipsters Astrid and Klaus Voorman (who drew the cover of Revolver); the impact of this pair on the band was significant. There's a reason he's on the cover of Sgt. Pepper, unlike the unfortunate Pete Best.

It was quite a treat to see Tony Sheridan - the celebrated bad influence and main attraction on the Beatles' first ever recording - looking very well, given his reputation at that time as a speed and alcohol maniac guitarist. Astrid herself of course is present, as well as Klaus Voorman, Allan Williams, their first manager, Horst Fascher, killer bouncer and Beatles protector at the Hamburg clubs, and other figures from that misty past. If you enjoyed the Beatles biography Shout - to my mind the best book written about them - you'll find the film enthralling.

Also included, a very interesting gallery of Stuart's art, much of it from the Hamburg days, and VERY good.

The effort to produce a documentary about Stuart Sutcliffe, art student and early member of the Beatles band, is notable. The idea to recreate the atmosphere surrounding his life and death and to reveal all the hypothesis and opinions related to his death is noteworthy.

The history comes in front of us with images, documents, persons and opinions in a decent, well-balanced, objective and impartial display. The choice and succession of quotes, fragments of correspondence, interviews and music are fortunate. The documentary is based on through research, we discover many details related to Stuart's life and death, but more importantly, like all well-done work, it leaves you with the desire and thirst to learn more. Moreover, we are--indirectly, of course--invited to judge with our own minds, to inquiry our hearts, to meditate and try to find our own answers.

Thanks to this documentary you can better understand John's deep sadness and perlexity in some alluring photos, or the poignant nostalgia of In My Life's lyrics and tune.

It is pleasant to see and hear the witnesses of "those days": Pauline Sutcliffe (Stu's sister), Astrid Kirchherr, Klaus Voorman, Tony Sheridan, Allan Williams, Rod Murray--people who knew Stuart and the other Beatles.

I don't know if Stu's contribution to the art world is important or not; if it really is, I don't know if it's due to its originality or to the fact that Stu is the tragic figure entangled with the Beatles' life. Would his paintings figure in the big collections, art albums and museums of the world had he not been a friend of John's or a member of his band? Would we contemplate Stu's art if he hadn't been, for a short while, a poor bass player in the already mythical Indra club? Difficult to give an answer. But is it important to have one?

The documentary is certainly worth watching. Maybe more revealing details from Stu's letters to John would have made it (even) more consistent and relevant.

"Backbeat" is one of my favorite movies, but it's rather fictionalized; this is a straight-forward documentary, narrated through interviews with Sutcliffe's friends and family (including Astrid, of course). It gives more background on the club scene in Hamburg, the true details of Sutcliffe's death, and a more explicite disgussion of Sutcliffe's relationship with Lennon (all speculation now, of course). I rented it from Netflix, and decided immediately to buy it. An absolute MUST for anyone wih an interest in the Beatles and/or Lennon.

This gives the initial viewer a sense of what the original Beatles bass player was like. But I felt with all the exceptional interviewees that we would learn a lot more. And there just were NOT enough photos of Sutcliffe to see who he really was. The same old photos -- no movies exist of him -- at least that is what has been said. Astrid Kircherr took thousands of photos of him with the Beatles but has only released a few. For someone involved in this project one would have thought that she'd have opened up her files and show them.

STUART SUTCLIFFE: THE LOST BEATLE highlights the life and short-career of one of The Beatles' founding members, Stuart Sutcliffe. This is one of rock and roll music's subtle mysteries about the first bass player of the band who carried a James Dean-like persona, but was poetic as he was artistic. His life ended tragically at the age of 22 years old as a result of a brain hemorrhage, which may have been caused by a blow to the head. However, through interviews of family, Stu's sister, Pauline Sutcliffe and Astrid Kirchherr and friends, Klaus Voorman, Tony Sheridan, Allan Williams, and Rod Murray, who knew him, there still exists skepticism to what may have truly happened between childhood friend, John Lennon and Stu, which may or not be linked to Stu's illness.

Nonetheless, the documentary is impressive and well done. Director Steve Cole and Producer Chris Hunt, and the editors and researchers do a good job beautifully displaying the life of one of the lesser-known Beatle. The photographs, artwork, and quotes from letters are interspersed within the film by and of Astrid Kirchherr and Stu are quite revealing, and undoubtedly show Stu's contribution to the art world. Indeed, there did exist a bulk of creative spirit behind those brooding eyes who produced avant-garde and modern abstract artwork filled with a range of emotions, and those closest to him, such as his sister Pauline, still wonder what he may have been thinking of when he painted the pieces.

Overall, the documentary provides a balanced history of the early Beatles years and the memory of Stuart Sutcliffe. Although no original Beatle tracks are played, Beatles imitators, The Prellies, exceptionally provides the soundtrack to the film to capture the energy and sound of the period. And ironically, the documentary concludes with John Lennon's "Jealous Guy." For those who still cannot get enough of Beatles history, this is a nice addition to one's collection.

FIRST OF ALL, STUART SUTCLIFFE was NEVER a Beatle !
NEVER a "LOST" Beatle; NEVER the "FIFTH" Beatle;
NEVER even a "Silver Beatle" (their name for a while);
NEVER any KIND of a Beatle! NEVER was he even one of
"The Quarrymen", their name before the "Silver Beatles".

Astrid was "girlfriend" to all four of them in the early
days while they were performing in Hamburg, Germany.
Stuart quit the group because he no longer wanted to
share Astrid with the rest of them. And, because he could
not keep up the hectic pace of being a cabaret entertainer.

Now, the history revisionists are touting Stuart as a
great musician and a budding artistic genius, just because
he was once in a band with John Lennon, Paul McCartney,
and George Harrison before they became famous. Stuart did
not have time to be either a great musician or great artist.
He was too busy pretending to be "the next James Dean".

Now, also, these self-promoting friends and family members
of Stuart are making vague insinuations that Stuart and John
had a homosexual relationship, and that Stuart's death from
a cerebral hemmorage happened because John Lennon allegedly
kicked Stuart in the head.

If John Lennon were still alive to refute this BS, this ersatz
"documentary" would never have been made. This story should
be correctly classified as a work of fiction.

The only reason I'm giving this piece of absolute rubbish a
"One-Star" rating, is that this review system does not accept
"ZERO-Star" ratings. As for the previous four and five star
ratings, you'll have to judge for yourself. But you can save
yourself the hour it takes to watch this... you'll find more
accurate stories in The National Inquirer.

ONE FINAL ITEM for consideration:
All 4 of the "informed sources" cited in this "biography" of
Stuart Sutcliffe . . .
Astrid Kirchherr ("girlfriend"), Pauline Sutcliffe (sister),
Allan Williams ("first manager"), & Horst Fascher ("bodyguard");
ALL OF THEM... are EACH promoting a BOOK they wrote...
about Stuart Sutcliffe.