From the drug-fueled craze of “Trainspotting” to the zombie apocalypse of “28 Days Later” and the tech icon biopic that is “Steve Jobs,” director Danny Boyle has one of the most diverse filmographies in the industry today, which is part of what makes the Academy Award-winning director such an exciting filmmaker. While it can be easy to rest on the laurels of any given genre, Boyle wisely disrupts the status quo with the same “punk rock” sensibilities that proved to be influential growing up in the mid-’70s – an influence the filmmaker infuses into several of the musical numbers in his latest film “Yesterday,” but specifically in his version of “Help!”
The Richard Curtis-written jukebox musical is distinctly unlike anything Boyle has tackled before, but there’s no question the director has had a musical on the brain for some time. This is precisely where our conversation with Boyle began as he discussed the appeal and challenges of musicals, how he went about recontextualizing the music of The Beatles, and why “Yesterday” became the film’s title and anthem.
In our recent interview with the filmmaker, myself and Brody Serravalli, talked to Boyle about his love of musicals, the specific songs in the film, and why “Yesterday” is the perfect title for his latest feature.
When making “Millions,” you mentioned how you originally wanted to approach that film as a musical in the same vein as “Once.” “Yesterday” felt very contemporary in the same way that John Carney’s films do. So, between that original plan and the dance sequences in “Slumdog Millionaire,” it really seems like you’ve had a musical on the brain for a while now, yeah?
Yes. I haven’t quite summoned up the courage to do a full-on, balls-out musical with dancing [laughs]. I’ve sort of done everything but put it all in one film. So maybe. You never know. Maybe the next one will be exactly that. It’s certainly a dream of mine to do the full nine yards – or whatever the expression is.
I’ve noticed this across your career, even when you tackle a film that is technically in the same genre as your previous film, biopics for example, your approach to each of them is very different. And so, I could definitely see you hopping on to either an original musical or an adaptation and spinning it in a different direction to what you’ve done here with “Yesterday.”
Yeah, I mean, they are amazing – musicals. They’re the most difficult thing to do, I think. Because, to make your audience believe, and not just believe, but also relish, that your characters are going to burst into song is so tough. But if you can do something with it that goes above and beyond their expectations, then you’re really taking people somewhere special.
And I think when you think about where we are with cinema at the moment, and the challenge that cinema faces to remain unique but also extensive – available everywhere, to everyone – it’s tough because people are switching to long-form television and cinema has to appeal in a quite unique way. And all within about a two-hour time limit, in which the audience is expected to devote their attention exclusively to the cinematic experience. And the musical is one way of doing that, for sure.
There’s nothing in your peripheral vision, there’s just the experience. And the commitment to the actors and the quality of the songs, and the singing and the dancing, and all that kind of stuff. So yeah, it’s interesting. “Yesterday” is kind of a partial attempt to do it, I guess. We’ve got songs in there, and they’re lovely, but they’re not dance numbers, sadly. Not yet.
It is interesting though that you say musicals are the most difficult kind of film to make. I guess that sort of explains why so many accomplished directors are so drawn to them – it’s that challenge to make a film on such a grand scale while also demanding the audience suspend their disbelief in a way that most other genres don’t.
Yeah, because I think in a way, especially with the level of skill involved in modern filmmaking – technical skill – it’s easier to believe in a science fiction world or a dark thriller or romantic comedy as well. But to believe that those characters, whatever the circumstance, will break into song, and that the song will not inhibit the storytelling but will actually extend it further – like in a film like “Cabaret” – is extraordinary. Obviously, that film is clever because it starts off in a club but then it reaches everywhere. The club becomes a tool, not just an easy lift-off point for singing and dancing, it actually becomes a vehicle that can be used to further the reaches of the storytelling. So yeah, it’s a big task, but in the meantime, we did a film called “Yesterday” [laughs].
The way you re-contextualize those Beatles songs to reflect Jack’s internal conflict is brilliant and, in a sense, you’ve cleverly taken what would otherwise have been a standard jukebox musical and turned it into something more akin to a traditional musical.
Yeah, and then the big question is which songs do you choose? Obviously, some are chosen because they’re very useful – Ed Sheeran goes to Moscow and invites Jack to be a supporting act, so you use “Back in the USSR.” Pretty much everyone would get that. But you’re right, there are others that are much more about Jack’s psychology.
The most obvious one, in a way, is “Help!”, which is reimagined as a punk rock song giving us access to real anger and despair. That, in a way, illustrates the real origin of the song – because it was John’s cry of agony and despair from within the maelstrom of fame and success. He felt trapped inside that, and in the film, it’s used at Jack’s low-point. He’s feeling the lie so strongly and the lie is taking him further and further away from someone who he begins to realize should be his heart’s destination – that being Elle, played by Lily James. So that was a great combo, but there are other ones as well, like “In My Life.” When he plays that he doesn’t really realize what he’s doing, but he’s singing about Elle. She thinks he’s singing about her, which he is, but it’s only subconscious for him at that point. Something compels him to confess to her, and he’s about to in a way that you imagine might be truly significant. He’s about to explain, at length, the real origin of the songs, and she might actually take it on board because the intimacy of what she’s felt – the beauty and love of the song has moved her indescribably – but then bloody Ed Sheeran rings up and the moment’s ruined. But yeah, the songs kind of pick themselves some time, and then other times they’re chosen very acutely to emphasize something that’s very special for that character at that moment.
How did you come to realize the movie should be anchored around the song “Yesterday” in particular? Was it there from the beginning or did it kind of reveal itself while the story was being developed?
No, that was picked for very specific reasons. Ironically, that song Paul thought he’d stolen. He dreamt it and woke up with the tune in his head and he played it for friends for about three weeks. He thought he’d lifted it from someone without realizing it. He was paranoid about stealing. Which is imposter syndrome – that feeling that you’re a fake. “Yesterday” was also a great place to start because I was always obsessed with the fact that, and this is true of McCartney especially, the Beatles generally feel like they wrote these amazing folk songs.
It’s funny when you look at a film like “Bohemian Rhapsody,” they use pretty much all the up-tempo numbers by Queen. I mean, Queen wrote some beautiful and melancholy songs – “Days of Our Lives” is probably the best example. They don’t use it in the film, they use the up-tempo numbers because they’re just great, kickass numbers. The Beatles wrote some of those too, but you couldn’t do the Beatles without these more reflective love songs because it’s such a part of their nature as a group and as a bunch of songwriters. For as exquisite and transforming songs as they are, they actually make you feel wonderful, but that melancholy makes the songs feel more truthful in a way. They certainly come from a visionary place because these are quite young men who were able to see outside the bubble they were in and see all the lonely people who were out there. So “Yesterday” was a curious one to start with, because it’s so downtempo, but was the perfect one for capturing that essence.
Our conversation with Danny Boyle will continue in Part 2 tomorrow. “Yesterday” is now playing in theaters.
-The interview, co-conducted by Brody Serravalli, was edited for length and clarity.