George Harrison was a spiritually and musically divine person. He was the quiet Beatle, and one of the first musicians to organize a large scale benefits concert. He was inspired by Indian music and philosophy, and collaborated with the influential sitar player, Ravi Shankar.  He wrote what Frank Sinatra called “One of the best love songs ever written”, with the track “Something.” He formed the band The Traveling Wilburys with Tom Petty and Bob Dylan. George Harrison was a rare kind of musician, in that he honestly understood what it meant to live and die without fear, and he was capable of carrying his message to others through music. In the documentary, Living in the Material World, Martin Scorsese uncovers the fascinating existence of George Harrison.

The movie is presented in chronological order of Harrison’s life, featuring interviews with his wife and son, Olivia and Dhani Harrison, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, and many others. Although the very beginning dedicates a few minutes to Harrison’s childhood, the film dives right in to his life as a Beatle, and is focused on this topic for most of part one. It is emphasized that being in the Beatles won fame and fortune for Harrison, and that it made him realize how the money and attention most men yearn for are essentially inconsequential. So after love affairs with drugs, women and celebrity status, Harrison was ready for his next passion, a devotion to Indian philosophy, and more importantly, the spiritual journey with which it would take him on.

Part two of Living in the Material World centers more on Harrison as an individual. His hobbies and habits, friends and solo career are closely chronicled. Part two also includes more interviews with Olivia Harrison, who provides fascinating accounts of how George acted upon the death of John Lennon, their experience together with the man who broke into their home and assaulted them, and George’s death. After overcoming throat cancer, and suffering again through lung cancer, Harrison died at the age of 58 years old. Olivia Harrison gave an excellent quote that truly represents the larger approach of this movie, “It’s very hard to see beyond the amazing career of the Beatles, but when you can quiet all that fervor, than you can really know what the man was all about.”

Picture via IMDB.