REVIEW: Disney+ Launches New Documentary If These Walls Could Sing
The Beatles are a timeless icon—used now in popular adaptations to snatch the hearts and interests of fans across the globe. Fifty years after their prime, the legendary boy group’s impact on the world remains fresh in our minds. Yet we must stop to wonder, how did they reach such fame? What were the secrets to their success? The answer is far more complicated than the songwriting talents of both Paul McCartney and John Lennon. Mary McCartney uncovers these answers with her Disney documentary titled If These Walls Could Sing, detailing the history of Abbey Road Studios and how it propelled so many innovative musicians towards success throughout the years.
Her first film If These Walls Could Sing was produced by Disney Studios and just recently released to its streaming platform Disney+. She admitted the documentary in a pre-screening Q&A session with Yale University, which has been a rollercoaster of self-discovery. During the film-making process, not only was she able to reconnect with the inner workings of the music powerhouse, but she was also able to witness its profound impact on so many aspiring artists since its creation in the early 1930s.
In its 91-year run, Abbey Road Studios endured many successes and failures, which McCartney attempts to highlight. She admitted the difficulty in narrowing her focus down to the building itself. The studio’s history, of course, is embedded within the discography of the artists who worked there. Most of the film utilizes archival footage that she had access to, and for this reason, the recent filmed content mainly consists of interviews with a variety of different artists.
It is hard to dispute the fact that capturing the essence of a recording studio is a hefty task, yet this is where her vision begins to take a dangerous turn. She relies heavily on the perspective of her father, Paul McCartney, which is where it is easy to get lost in her vision: is the film about Abbey Road Studios or The Beatles? To dispel this heavy imbalance, McCartney interjects anecdotes from Elton John, members of Oasis, Pink Floyd, and even Kate Bush, who is well-known for avoiding the media.
As the film progresses, audiences may find it difficult to follow the film’s seemingly disjointed organizational structure. The documentary first begins chronologically, traveling between eras that helped build the studio’s reputation. However, there were untimely shifts back and forth that muddied the emphasis McCartney hoped to develop with the onset of certain artists.
Although The Beatles essentially propped Abbey Roads Studio to the forefront of the music industry, If These Walls Could Sing spends most of its time describing the creative process behind some of the group’s most critical albums, such as Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Abbey Road, and Let It Be.
Moreover, each time the film returns to the subject of the group, it morphs further into another one of the many films detailing the lives of the Beatles. In discussing McCartney’s choices regarding the film’s framework, there are some compelling moments in which it hones in on a particular genre, such as classical music, and how Studio 1 provided the tools necessary to fulfill the needs of those who were stationed there.
The film succeeded in sparking an unspoken nostalgia within viewers who grew up listening to the music she features. Yet, at my tender age, on the brink of adulthood, I was only able to nod my head along to a few of the tracks, which I wonder how younger audiences may react to the film. Nevertheless, each moment of comedic relief eases the tension that developed alongside the struggles artists faced in their pathways toward stardom. Much of the laughter stems from Paul McCartney’s sarcasm and wry humor, demanding a reaction from those who see him.
From behind the camera, we still encounter the younger McCartney’s strong aura. As she saunters through the empty halls or speaks with the interviewees, it is nearly impossible to avoid her presence wafting across the screen. While it is easy to categorize If These Walls Could Sing as a more elaborate Beatles-centric film, it deviates from this mold by incorporating a sense of community and togetherness that could only be achieved by the hands of Mary McCartney.
Fans can watch If These Walls Could Sing on Disney+. View the trailer for Mary McCartney’s documentary down below.
Columnist | K-pop Stan | Tweet me @senaho5
