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As I’ve mentioned before, I was never a huge Beatles fan. Actually, as a kid, I tended to lean more toward the Monkees—so I was thrilled to find that The Beatles’ quirky comedy, Help! is a lot like an extended episode of the Monkees’ wacky ‘60s TV show.
In Help!, poor Ringo finds himself pursued by a group of angry cult members who are desperate to retrieve their sacrificial ring—which has somehow found its way onto Ringo’s finger. Though Ringo would gladly give the ring back, he can’t seem to get it off his finger, no matter how hard he tries.
Determined to get their sacrificial ring back—and thus continue their daily cult rituals—the cult members chase after Ringo, trying to paint him red to prepare him to be sacrificed. But as the Beatles try to get the ring off Ringo’s finger and escape the cult members, they only wind up in more and more trouble. After a while, it seems like everyone (including a pair of incompetent scientists, who think the ring will help them rule the world) is chasing after the Beatles—and not just the screaming young girls, either.
Though parts of the film make absolutely no sense at all, Help! is a playfully goofy little movie that seems to be more about the Beatles having a bit of fun between musical numbers than anything else. The story is ridiculously simple, and the whole thing totally contrived—and you never know when the guys will suddenly, for no apparent reason, end up trying their hand at curling in the Alps, with the cult members in hot pursuit. But Help! is still surprisingly well written. After all, it takes a lot of talent to be able to write something this silly. It’s filled with great one-liners (my personal favorite is when one of the guys, in trying to convince Ringo to cut off his finger and get rid of the ring, complains, “We’re risking our lives for one useless member”) and plenty of slapstick comedy. It may be silly, but it’s definitely entertaining.
With its puzzling story and its wacky sense of humor, Help! may not be a piece of classic cinematic genius, but the simple yet snappy ‘60s British humor, the early-Beatles-era innocence, and the great music make it a classic nonetheless. For Beatles fans, it is, without a doubt, a must-own. And if, like me, you’ve never been much of a Beatles fan, you’ll definitely understand their appeal after watching this peculiar little comedy. It’s one part Beatles musical, one part James Bond, and one part Three Stooges—and that adds up to a whole lot of crazy fun.
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