Keeping Up With the Trends

They are still one of Britain's most famous attractions, and yet I know nothing about them.

The Beatles changed everything the world knew about music. All I know about them is that they originated in England and had several hits. Beyond that, I could not tell you anymore. Luckily, I had the wonderful opportunity to go see the film A Hard Day's Night about the Beatles at the exquisite British Film Institute.

 The night began as any other. A group of us met with our professor to further understand the culture of England. Our first night out would be watching this film. Quite honestly, I did not do any research on the film. I wanted to be thrown into the culture to see how well I would fare. We got our tickets, listened to a quick lecture, and sat in our assigned seats.

On a side note, I was not prepared for assigned seating. In America, I would buy a ticket, get to the theater early, and then pick the best seat; first come, first serve. Here, the website asked where we would like to sit. Boom! My first cultural shock. Taken aback, I just clicked "Best Available" to relieve the stress of finding the perfect seat.

I am fully enjoying the experience

The movie started and ended, but a million things happened in between. 

You can look on a movie website, like IMDB, and they will let you know that this is a story about the Beatles traveling to London to perform. However, the movie shows so much of Britain's culture changing during their reign. 

The movie begins with the Beatles being chased by hundreds of girls. They are literally running away! I could understand instantly that they were part of something new and loved. These girls could not get enough of them. I had to understand why though.  

It then goes on to characterize each member; John, Paul, Ringo, and George. This helped me to understand more of what made them just so famous. These were boys who rose to stardom very quickly. They were out to have a good time playing a style of music they had practically invented themselves. They changed the style of rock'n'roll to be more upbeat and many followed in their footsteps like The Rolling Stones and The Who. They took a style that no one had ever heard of before and ran with it. They ran all the way to the top, and even today I couldn't say they've come down. 

They did more than alter the music industry. The Beatles also changed the way of living in Britain. Before the Beatles, the Brits were stereo-typically known as being prudish and stuffy. Once The Beatles came into being, they were known as being more relaxed with a shaggy hairstyle that is still around even today. Even while being in London for such a short time today, I could feel the relaxed vibe in the streets. More people seem to be at ease and I wouldn't classify them as stuffy. 

The Beatles came around after WWII and everyone was ready for a change to hope. I think the gloomy mood people were left in after the war was a catalyst in getting several people to accept their changes. They were able to only change a country, but the world!

These four young men were able to inspire a change for the individuals around the world. Even though A Hard Day's Night is about one performance, it means so much more. It shows that these boys were able to show the world that things can get better if we all work together and believe. This movie will forever be part of my understanding of British life and culture. I'm glad I was able to be immersed with their music just like the girls 50 years ago and still be just as inspired.