The Sublime Spectacle of Yoko Ono Disrupting the Beatles

 

In Peter Jackson’s “The Beatles: Get Back,” Ono is a performance artist at the height of her powers.

 

"From the beginning, Ono’s presence feels intentional. Her gauzy black outfit and flowing, center-parted hair lend her a tent-like appearance; it is as if she is setting up camp, carving out space in the band’s environment. A “mundane” task becomes peculiar when you choose to perform it in front of Paul McCartney’s face as he tries to write “Let It Be.” When you repeat this for 21 days, it becomes astonishing. The documentary’s shaggy run-time reveals Ono’s provocation in all its intensity. It’s as if she is staging a marathon performance piece, and in a way, she is."

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By Amanda Hess