George Harrison: Living in the Material World


George Harrison: Living in the Material World is a 2011 documentary film directed by Martin Scorsese, based on the life of The Beatles' George Harrison. It earned six nominations at the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards, winning two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming and Outstanding Nonfiction Special. A companion book was released alongside the film, as well as an album of Harrison's demo recordings called Early Takes Volume 1.
The film currently holds an 86% approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes, based on 37 professional reviews.

Plot

The film follows music legend George Harrison's story from his early life in Liverpool, the Beatlemania phenomenon, his travels to India, the influence of Krishna Consciousness movement in his music, and his relevance and importance as a member of The Beatles. It consists of previously unseen footage and interviews with Olivia and Dhani Harrison, friends, and many others.

Appearances

Production

After Harrison's death in 2001, various production companies approached his widow Olivia about producing a film about her late husband's life. She declined because he had wanted to tell his own life story through his video archive. Upon meeting Scorsese, she gave her blessings and signed on to the film project as a producer.
According to Scorsese, he was attracted to the project because "That subject matter has never left me...The more you're in the material world, the more there is a tendency for a search for serenity and a need to not be distracted by physical elements that are around you. His music is very important to me, so I was interested in the journey that he took as an artist. The film is an exploration. We don't know. We're just feeling our way through."
Throughout 2008 and 2009, Scorsese alternated working between Shutter Island and the documentary. Scorsese, his editor David Tedeschi, and a small army of researchers spent five years assembling interviews, music, film clips, photos, and memorabilia.
The documentary premièred at the Foundation for Art and Creative Technology in Liverpool on 2 October 2011. It was shown on HBO in two parts on 5 and 6 October 2011 in the United States and Canada and as a two-part Arena special on BBC Two on 12 and 13 November 2011 in the United Kingdom.

Deluxe Edition CD

All songs written by George Harrison, except where noted.
  1. "My Sweet Lord" – 3:33
  2. "Run of the Mill" – 1:56
  3. "I'd Have You Anytime" – 3:06
  4. "Mama, You've Been on My Mind" – 3:04
  5. "Let It Be Me" – 2:56
  6. "Woman Don't You Cry for Me" – 2:44
  7. "Awaiting on You All" – 2:40
  8. "Behind That Locked Door" – 3:29
  9. "All Things Must Pass" – 4:38
  10. "The Light That Has Lighted the World" – 2:23

    Book

Olivia Harrison authored an accompanying book, titled George Harrison: Living in the Material World and published by Abrams in 2011. The book was edited by Mark Holborn and contains a foreword by Scorsese and an introduction by author and literary critic Paul Theroux.

Awards

The documentary earned two Primetime Emmy Awards, Outstanding Nonfiction Special and Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming for director Martin Scorsese. It also earned nominations for Outstanding Cinematography, Picture Editing, Sound Editing, and Sound Mixing.