I am a huge fan of Sir Paul McCartney.  I own all the Beatles LP’s and CD’s as well as all the Wings and the Solo work.  I’ve seen the Walrus (the Walrus was Paul) a few times in concert and every show was perfect.  Now, for those who have never experienced the magic mystery of this bassist, here comes the DVD Paul McCartney in Red Square.        Filmed in the former Soviet Union, this is actually a two concert series.  The first show (running about ninety minutes) is in Red Square on May 24, 2003 in front of 100,000 people.  The second (at about an hour) is in St. Petersburg.  Paul, in his Russian Red shirt still looks a very spry 60 something.  His band of young performers breathes life into the numbers.        And it is the musical tunes that make this film.  It is a sonic wall of hit after hit, mostly from the Beatles catalogue, that keeps the crowd riled.  “I Saw Her Standing There”, “Birthday”, “Hey Jude” and “Drive My Car” are just a few of the tunes placed on this disc.

Of course, three times the audience treated to “Back in the USSR”.  Wings years are represented by “Band on the Run”, “Live and Let Die” and “Jet” to pick a few.  The smallest group is the current solo projects with “Flaming Pie” and “Calico Skies”.  But, the audience is ready for nostalgia and this is a perfect gift.  
    
The band that Sir Paul has put together thunders along at a wooly mammoth pace, giving a big sound to many songs that had never been performed by the author in public until late.  The Beatles tunes still sound fresh and they sparkle on the stage.  The biggest complaint against any of the music is the lack of a female voice in the Wings material.  Wither you liked or hated Linda McCartney, her voice did make the Wings material feel different from the Lennon/McCartney catalogue.
    
But there is more than music on this disc.  Paul and his young wife Heather travel through the country visiting different sites.  They also visit music schools, being amazed by the performances.  Both Gorby and Putin find time to have a chat with the former Beatle and internationally known pop sensation.  Paul finds that beneath the cultural façade, we have all the same needs for music and love.
    
Also included between musical numbers are different Russian cultural people who discuss the impact that the Beatles had on Russia and how precious it was to get a coveted vinyl of the Fab Four.  Through their discussions, it becomes an amazing conclusion on how much the Russian System has changed in the last few decades.
    
Other than the two concerts, the disc contains two very short (about five minutes’) documentaries.  One is a video journal of Paul visiting the Russian people and the second a very short history of the Beatles and the Soviet Union of the 1960’s.  The parallels it brings up are more interesting than insightful.
    
And one of the biggest surprises is how stunned Paul McCartney seems to be when playing the concerts.  I don’t think he ever considered just how important his music was to the repressed people of the former USSR.
    
The band plays well and the concerts seem to be enchanted, but I think that Paul McCartney in Red Square is a MUST OWN for the fans only.  It makes a great Rental for the average viewer, but only fanatics would watch this one over and over.

Directed by: Mark Haefeli
Starring: Paul McCartney
Extras: Director's cut features 20 minutes of never-aired footage, plus behind-the-scenes featurette, song selection, and more
Song list: Getting Better, Band on the Run, Can't Buy Me Love, Two of Us, I Saw Her Standing There, We Can Work It Out, I've Just Seen a Face, Live and Let Die, Let 'Em In, Fool on the Hill, The Things We Said Today, Birthday, Maybe I'm Amazed, Back in the USSR, Calico Skies, Hey Jude, She's Leaving Home, Yesterday, Let It Be, Back in the USSR (reprise)
Full-length bonus concert Paul McCartney Live in St. Petersburg: Intro, Jet, Got to Get You Into My Life, Flaming Pie, Let Me Roll It, Drive My Car, Penny Lane, Get Back, Back in the USSR, I've Got a Feeling, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band/The End, Helter Skelter (first live performance)
Behind the Curtain: Memories from Red Square
Featurette from the History Channel: Russia and the Beatles: A Brief Journey
Specifications: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, DTS 5.1 Digital Surround Sound, Dolby Digital 2.0
Studio: A&E Home Entertainment
Release Date: 6/14/2005
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give Paul McCartney: Live in Red Square an A.