Abstract:
This article uses the male cultural phenomenon that is The Beatles as a text through
which to examine changing representations of men and masculinities at a particular historical
moment, illustrating the ways in which the Beatles’ film Help! (1965) represents the re-imagining
of what is meant to be an English man in the mid 1960s, containing, as it does, discourses which
challenge notions of masculinity prevalent of the time. Discourses around hair, clothing, physical
appearance and style are at work in the text. It also raises questions about ‘establishment’ values
and the link between male identity and work which, up to that point, had been central to the male
cinematic identity. The text also references ideas around upward mobility prevalent at the time of
its production and argues that The Beatles provide a focus for debates around men and
masculinity given their global popularity which was partly achieved through the medium of film.
