When The Beatles broke up in 1969, Paul McCartney found himself at a crossroads, Oscar-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville says. Newly married to photographer Linda McCartney, the 27-year-old rock star was forced to confront who he was without the band that had defined him since he was a teenager.
"That's the moment I wanted to begin the film — which is, Paul is just suddenly at a loss to know anything about himself: 'Who am I if I'm not a Beatle?'" Neville says.
Neville has directed documentaries about Fred Rogers, Anthony Bourdain and Orson Welles, as well as many prominent musicians. Now, with Man on the Run, he chronicles McCartney in the decade between The Beatles' breakup and the 1980 murder of bandmate John Lennon. The film features previously unseen archival footage of McCartney with his young family at their remote farmhouse — much of it taken by Linda.
"Even though they were living this rural farmer's life in Scotland, they sure took a lot of photos and footage of it," Neville says. "And the texture of that life was just amazing to see what they created, and live in that world."
The film also shows McCartney as he forms his new band Wings and begins making new records — all the while "consciously trying not to do Beatles music," Neville says.
"He's running away from [The Beatles'] shadow. ... That's why I call the film Man on the Run," Neville says. "In a way, Paul making this documentary was a way of [his] coming to terms with that whole period, because I think he had buried a lot of his feelings about this period, just because they were painful."
Interview highlights
On McCartney constantly making music
Between 1970 and 1980, he puts out 10 records in 10 years. But on top of that, he's doing all kinds of side projects. He is somebody who needs to be doing something. I asked him about it. I said, "Are you a workaholic?" And what he said to me is, "Well, you don't work music. You play it. So I think I'm a playaholic." And I think that's true. To this day, Paul McCartney is probably making music today, and every day. That's what he still does, because that's how he expresses himself. And I get that. If I was Paul McCartney, I'd make music every day, too.
On McCartney's relationship with Lennon after The Beatles' breakup
Even when they're fighting, John refers to Paul as his best friend or as his brother. They had this connection that allowed them to do that.Morgan Neville
At the beginning of the '70s, they're all just trying to separate. So there's a distance. They all want to feel the distance. ... And Paul writes a song called "Too Many People" on Ram, which has some veiled references to people preaching practices and talking maybe about John's lecturing and his kind of political activism in a way that's maybe too much. And John comes back with a song called "How Do You Sleep?," which is not veiled, which is a very harsh, almost [a] character assassination song, and saying [to McCartney] the only thing you did was "Yesterday." And it's tough. But then you see, even at that moment, that they're still almost fighting like brothers. … Even when they're fighting, John refers to Paul as his best friend or as his brother. They had this connection that allowed them to do that. ... John was [McCartney's] best friend and will always be his best friend.
On McCartney's private reaction to Lennon's 1980 murder
In the documentary, Stella, Paul's daughter, told me a story I've never heard, of Paul actually getting the call that morning from America about John's death, and the biggest reaction she had ever seen, and him walking outside and just being emotionally devastated. … I think it took Paul many, many years to process that loss. ... Sean [Lennon] then says, for him, for all of them, it was the real growing up moment. It was the moment where nothing would ever be the same again. And it's why I chose to end the film there. I think Paul completely changes at that moment. I think the Paul McCartney of today begins at that moment in a way. No longer is Paul running away from his past and trying to reconcile who he is as a solo artist or as Wings or as The Beatles. He can just be Paul. And from that moment on, Wings are no more. He never records or tours with them again. He starts recording as Paul McCartney, starts working with George Martin again and Ringo, and just kind of embraces all of it. And he doesn't have to create a wall between himself and that past.
On Neville's Lorne Michaels documentary, coming in April
I'm very proud of that film. It could not be more different from the Paul McCartney film, but that's kind of what I like. I'm kind of a method director where I'm trying to have the subject tell me how to tell the story aesthetically and emotionally and in every other way. And Lorne, it's about trying to make a film about the Wizard of Oz, you know? What do you do with somebody who's so elusive? And in a way, it's about my relationship as a filmmaker with a subject who both does and doesn't want a documentary made about them. …
The thing that really was working the best was just being allowed to shadow him more and being in the meetings and understanding how the sausage is made. And I think we've seen lots about Saturday Night Live, but we've never been in those meetings, like the real meetings where things are decided, and understanding how does somebody like Lorne, how's he lasted 50 plus years now? Like, what is it that he's doing or seeing?
And I think the film does really capture Lorne in a way that makes you understand something deeply about who he is and his perspective on culture. But it's so different, because Paul is such an intimate story. And I feel like the Lorne story starts as a nature documentary, where he's this rare bird I'm trying to film, and he's constantly escaping me and I'm just trying to get a little closer and a little closer. And that was the experience of making the film over a couple of years was just building up enough trust to get closer and closer to finally kind of get a glimpse of what's inside.
Lauren Krenzel and Nico Gonzalez Wisler produced and edited this interview for broadcast. Bridget Bentz, Molly Seavy-Nesper and Beth Novey adapted it for the web.
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