Morgan Neville has made documentaries about some of the most influential cultural figures in recent history, from Brian Wilson and Keith Richards to Fred Rogers and Lorne Michaels. But there’s no challenge quite like a Beatle.
His latest film, “Man on the Run,” focuses on Paul McCartney‘s decade following the end of The Beatles. The documentary captures his move to rural Scotland, the formation of his second major band Wings, and the recording of seminal albums like “McCartney” and “Ram.” It captures McCartney’s solo career with the same gravitas as Peter Jackson’s “Get Back,” shining light on an era of music that is often dismissed when compared to his earlier masterpieces.
At IndieWire’s Art of the Doc event on Monday, October 19, Neville sat down with IndieWire editor-in-chief Brent Lang to discuss bringing the Beatle’s story to the big screen. He explained that, despite there being so many recent documentaries about The Beatles, McCartney’s Wings era offered an untold story that could shine new light on one of the greatest songwriters of all time.
“I got a call, I met with him, and I told him this film ends the day The Beatles broke up and it ends the day John Lennon dies,” Neville said of the project’s origins.
The director went on to explain that the McCartney we see for much of the film was scarred by the aftermath of his early fame and the acrimonious breakup of his band. His retreat to pastoral family life was a necessary step in reconnecting with his own musical talents.
“There was some PTSD that all of them had from going through being a Beatle. They just didn’t ever have to grow up … in certain ways they never had to deal with reality,” he said. “People were angry, and that trauma turned into anger, like ‘Why can’t you guys just get back together?’ and blaming everybody. Linda’s idea was to go off to this tiny farmhouse to the middle of nowhere in Scotland. Which sounded a little insane, but probably was the sanest decision they ever made.”
Watch the complete conversation with Neville in the video above.
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