Man on the Run: A Deep Dive into Paul McCartney's Post-Beatles Evolution
In the new documentary Man on the Run, director Morgan Neville presents a comprehensive archival exploration of Paul McCartney's career from the dissolution of the Beatles in 1969 to the end of his band Wings in 1981. McCartney serves as an off-camera interviewee and executive producer, offering fresh commentary alongside pre-existing audio recordings, photos, and film clips. This film memorialises his second coming in the music world, capturing a period where he embodied a strange, stylised sense of uncool that paradoxically led to bestselling success.
The Transition from Beatles to Wings
After the Fab Four fell apart, McCartney retreated to rural Scotland with his wife Linda and their children. There, he worked on music in a desultory manner while amassing new songs on his four-track tape recorder. His solo albums, including the poorly received Ram, sparked acrimony with John Lennon due to perceived diss tracks. Meanwhile, Lennon was spearheading the counterculture in New York, while McCartney experimented with a new pop aesthetic, including a bizarre TV special of outrageously naff vaudeville song and dance.
The documentary tracks McCartney's tense and fruitful career, highlighting how he recruited musicians for Wings, including his wife Linda, who faced press derision but responded with good humour, stating, "I'm not here 'cause I'm the greatest keyboard player; I'm here because we love each other." Fans embraced the family ethos of Wings, which played sellout tours and answered post-Beatle naysayers with the colossally bestselling Mull of Kintyre. However, the film notably omits Wings' highly political debut single, Give Ireland Back to the Irish, released in 1972 in response to Bloody Sunday.
Archival Insights and Unexplored Themes
Man on the Run comprises archive materials featuring McCartney, Linda, his children, and others, with some new overlaid commentary. The film revisits McCartney's career without explicitly discussing the psychological role of John Lennon's life and death in Wings' beginning and end. It does show McCartney's startlingly strange and casual-seeming interview after Lennon's shooting, where his shock resulted in an apparently cold attitude, though his true thoughts remain unexplored in detail.
The lineup of Wings changed frequently, with Denny Laine emerging as the third and only other core member, while others were hardly more than session musicians. This turnover hints at unspoken resentment, adding depth to the narrative. Despite covering familiar ground, the film remains engaging, partly due to the mesmeric quality of McCartney's face—cherubic yet sharp and watchful.
Release Details and Cultural Impact
Man on the Run is set to premiere in cinemas from 19 February and will be available on Prime Video from 27 February. This documentary offers a welcome revisit to McCartney's post-Beatles era, providing insights into his journey from uncool experimentation to mainstream success. It serves as another hefty legacy project for the iconic musician, celebrating his enduring influence in the music industry.
