'Across the Universe' balances Beatles with love story
By Taryn Lentes, Staff Writer
October 19, 2007 | 4 p.m.
"Across the Universe" combines the most beloved songs in the world with an important period in our country’s history. "Universe," like the reinvented Beatles tunes it features, showcases familiar and unexpected ways love and music touch us all.
On the surface, "Across the Universe" is a love story featuring Jude (Jim Sturgess) as a Liverpool dock worker, who is searching for his long lost American father, and Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) as a formally clean-cut girl looking for a purpose in the midst of a war that has stolen both her first boyfriend and her brother. The story weaves their love story in and out of subplots about roommates, relatives, musicians, drugs, sexual identity, race riots and, of course, the Vietnam War. The movie is directed by Julie Taymor, whose previous work on Broadway musicals is obvious in the flair and theatrical tendencies of the film, not to mention the musical element.
There are 33 Beatles songs featured either in part or in their entirety in the film, and they range from the most well-known to the more obscure. As a result, "Across the Universe" will undoubtedly always be known as the movie that uses The Beatles’ songs, and that’s a fitting reputation, since the songs are so interweaved into the plot that removing them would leave only the shell of a movie.
However, despite the fact that many diehard Beatles fans probably shudder at the mere idea of actors dancing around while attempting to sing perhaps the greatest songs of all time, they should take comfort in the fact that the vocalists in this film do not set out to make a mediocre copy of the original.
Instead, the filmmakers purposefully altered the expected deliveries of most of the songs to catch the audiences off guard and really get their attention. Most of the audience will be overly familiar with the songs included in the soundtrack, but these renditions remind the audience of the emotion and meaning that often get lost in the melodic familiarity of these classic numbers. When Prudence, an extremely depressed and isolated cheerleader, sings “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” it isn’t associated with the cute image the song so often conjures. Instead, it’s a picture of pure human agony and longing, which lends itself beautifully to the lyrical honesty of The Beatles.
One of the film's most powerful traits is its pairing of songs to scenes, both in expected and unexpected ways. “Let It Be” is featured during a scene of the race riots in Detroit, and the combination is tragically intense, as is the use of “Strawberry Fields” to show the pain and confusion of two friends, one at home and one on the warfront. Some of the film’s true genius, however, shows in the unexpected pairing of “Come Together,” which is performed by prostitutes and a pimp.
In addition to the obvious example of the soundtrack, the entire film contains hidden references and nods to The Beatles. The majority of the characters have names inspired by the Beatles' songs, including Jude, Lucy, Max, Sadie, Jojo and Prudence. Many lines from the film are taken from Beatles songs or are obvious references to Beatles-related events, and Beatles fanatics should have a good time trying to catch them all. The film also features several cameos, including Bono as the drug shaman Dr. Robert and Joe Cocker as three street characters.
The style of the film can be a jolt as it is somewhat similar to "Moulin Rouge," only with considerably more of the animation and puppetry involved in that film. The movie blends more or less seamlessly between the realistic and dreamlike scenes, adding a layer of interesting contrast between the horrific events of the time and the youthful freedom that has taken hold. Some scenes do border on random and creepy, but overall the effect is one that enhances the film’s impact in a positive way.
Despite the trappings of psychedelic effects and musical numbers, the film is essentially a love story set during a time period of uncertainty and change, and the film is successful at making its audience care about the fates of its characters. The songs add to the movie’s soul, but the characters and story keep the audience engaged enough to bridge the gap between songs. This film is perfect for fans of The Beatles, the '60s or a good old-fashioned love story.
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Critic’s Rating: A
Running Time: 1 hour and 31 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Movie Genre: Musical/Romance/Drama