The sixties was a time of great social and ideological change. The post-war ‘baby boom’ and increased freedom and prosperity led to a greater interest in the leisure and convenience industries and the emergence of a youth culture which valued material possessions, such as fashionable clothes and popular music, and which led a more carefree and irresponsible lifestyle.
Both the films A Hard Day’s Night (Lester, 1964) and Darling (Schlesinger, 1965) were produced during the ‘Swinging Sixties’, but present very different views of this era in British history, in particular highlighting this time as very dissimilar in the opportunities it offered to different genders.
The visual style of A Hard Day’s Night was considered radical at the time of its release, combining black and white with pacy and often sloppy cinematography to create an almost ‘day-in-the-life’ documentary effect which brings the production to life and conveys energy, youth and freedom. The film focuses on the members of The Beatles and women are very much marginalised in the narrative, so that the sixties are presented as offering choice, change and excitement for a male-dominated society. Darling, on the other hand, has a female main character, which was very rare for the time, and, although Diana is initially presented as youthful, independent and very much a typical product of the ‘Swinging Sixties’, the film’s style, unlike A Hard Day’s Night, does not reflect this, having a conventional, linear, cause-and-effect narrative which is much more reminiscent of a classical Hollywood film. This helps the filmmakers to convey the theme of the film, which is ultimately a negative view of the ‘Swinging Sixties’, and one which suggests terrible consequences for women who succumb to the fashions and culture created by this society.
The messages of both films are very evident from the opening sequences. From the first shot of A Hard Day’s Night, in which The Beatles are being chased down the street by screaming fans, accompanied by lively music, a positive and optimistic atmosphere is apparent. The editing style is fast and would have been considered experimental at the time of release, with unconventional techniques such as jump cuts used to create confusion and to convey the chaos and impact that The Beatles brought with them. A variety of camera angles, distances and camera movement, such as swish pans, increase the excitement and energy created by the first scene. Most close-ups and, therefore, the main focus, is on The Beatles and their very obvious enjoyment of the attention and of disregarding the rules. The sequence represents the massive shift in the attitudes and values of the younger generation, whilst strongly suggesting that this ‘breaking free’ is prompted and led by men, and that women, typified by the screaming mob of girls which is irrepressibly infatuated with The Beatles, are simply expected to follow in the background.
In contrast, the opening sequence of Darling begins to build up a negative image of 1960s’ Britain. The film begins with a flash-forward to Diana giving an interview when she is famous, which frames the narrative. There are medium close-ups of Diana’s picture being pasted to a billboard and, because the image is so huge, this draws a lot of attention to Diana’s make-up, jewellery, eyes and lips, which immediately emphasises her sexuality. This impression of Diana as elegant and glamorous is, however, flawed, and the magazine is rather ironically named Ideal Woman, despite the fact that the media-constructed image we see on screen is very different from Diana’s reality.
The fact that Diana’s picture is covering up a World Relief poster is perhaps commenting on people’s short-sightedness in the sixties, suggesting that, through their focus on freedom in Britain and their new fascination with the celebrity image, they may have lost sight of the most important issues.
Diana’s voiceover emphasises the centrality of the female character and works throughout the film to highlight her flawed reality. Her dialogue tells the positive story that she has prepared to relay to the press, while on screen we see the true events which make up Diana’s ‘ideal’ life. As a young woman, Diana is presented as a typical product of the 1960s, as she enters the shot swinging her bag freely, suggestively of the ‘Swinging Sixties’. However, as she is interviewed for the television, her dialogue sounds very naive, as though she does not quite understand the concept or principles or even reality behind the ‘Swinging Sixties’. Already, we are given the impression of the media manufacturing and reproducing Diana’s image, as the monitors in the television gallery double up. We can also see more evidence of Diana being objectified by workers in the media industry. The filmmakers are beginning to create an idea of Diana as merely a sex object and almost as a material commodity that the media can use to increase sales. While The Beatles are also seen as attractive and of celebrity status, the messages of their film are very positive and seem to promote the liberty and independence of the sixties.
By the closing sequence of A Hard Day’s Night, during which The Beatles perform in a television studio, the members of the band have all been distinguished as four individual, male characters. This contrasts with the role of women in the film, as there have been no main female characters; women are either portrayed as screaming, uncontrollable girls or as sex objects.
This is emphasised by the use of film form in the closing sequence. The Beatles are loosely framed on stage and very obviously separated from the audience, the members of which tightly frame each other so that it is almost impossible to make out any distinguishable features between them. The audience is almost entirely female, and close-ups of the crying girls, coupled with their over-amplified screams, make women appear hysterical, fragile and inferior. Again, the radicalness and excitement of the cinematography during this sequence communicates how The Beatles enjoy breaking conventions and embrace the ‘Swinging Sixties’, while women take a back seat.
The sequence towards the end of Darling, during which Diana is alone in the castle, goes to her quarters and strips herself of her ‘royal’ clothing, is a significant one in conveying the messages of the filmmakers in relation to women’s experience of the 1960s. As soon as Diana is alone, her regal image deteriorates. She strolls through the castle smoking, and when she reaches her quarters, which seem to be marked by a painting of the Pope, perhaps representing patriarchal power, she breaks down. None of the doors she walks through seem to lead to an escape or resolution; she simply finds room after room, reminding her of how trapped and far from home she is. The camera follows Diana, almost chasing her and representing how she feels constantly watched, as she rips off her expensive clothing and throws it viciously onto the floor. It is as though she is shedding the image that she presents to the public and the identity that the media has created for her. The sequence closes with a close-up of Diana; her beauty and image no longer seem so important to her as her hair is tangled and she is crying. This is surprising, as throughout the film we have been made conscious of how important Diana’s image is to her, through the significance of reflective surfaces in the mise-en-scene, and the repeated scenes of Diana doing her make-up. This is the first time throughout the film that we have seen Diana naked, although it is not an erotic scene; she has stripped herself of her identity as a princess, but we now realise that this is her only one – she has switched loyalties so often that she can only now be known as the press has labelled her. Her naked body was once the only thing that could give her power, but it now represents her lonely, vulnerable and flawed reality.
While A Hard Day’s Night presents the sixties as an exciting opportunity for those who weren’t previously given chances to gain power, Darling suggests that this was not the case. Diana does gain power, but only through her sexualisation and promiscuity, and she ultimately ends up trapped by the industry which initially promised her independence. However, the purpose of A Hard Day’s Night was in reality to promote The Beatles as a band, and, through creating an attractive image of the 1960s, an audience could be encouraged to buy into The Beatles and the attitude of the ‘Swinging Sixties’ which they appear to represent. Darling suggests another side to the time, implying that it was not advantageous for women, and that, for them, it would end miserably.
Sources:
Paul Monaco (2003) The Sixties, 1960 - 1969 University of California Press.
Alexander Walker (2005) Hollywood, England: The British Film Industry in the Sixties Orion.
Stephen Glynn (2005) A Hard Day's Night I. B. Tauris.
Liz Cooper - A 22 year old media graduate from northern England, Liz now lives in London where she undertakes freelance television and writing work. A ...
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