Year: 2007
Director: Julie Taymor
Country: U.S
Language: English
John, Paul, George and Ringo, pretty much every North American over ten years old knows about The Beatles! They are a fantastic 60's pop band with memorable hits like Eight Days a Week, Come Together and A Hard Day's Night. It is incredibly hard to find anybody who doesn't like the Fab Four. 36 years after their breakup Across the Universe, a musical based on their music, is released and met with much acclaim. I was quite impressed as well.
Across The Universe is a fictional love story set in the 1960s amid the controversial years of anti-war protest, the struggle for free speech and civil rights, mind exploration and rock and roll. At once gritty, whimsical and highly theatrical, the story moves from high schools and universities in Massachusetts, Princeton and Ohio to the Lower East Side of Manhattan, the Detroit riots, Vietnam and the dockyards of Liverpool.
An admirable trait about this film is that it isn't just made for spaced-out stoners, it is bizarre at times (especially during the For the Benefit of Mr.Kite number) but it also has a relatively easy to follow love story. While most songs in modern musicals distract from the overall quality of the film and just seem like filler, the numbers in Across the Universe greatly enhance the experience of watching it. They also provide new understanding, for instance I didn't realize I Want to Hold Your Hand could be so heartbreaking, nor that I Want You (She's So Heavy) could be so terrifying and not about a woman.
The film is not perfect, it is poorly paced at times and not well structured. As a socio-political film it hits a flatline, as a film about love it has a pulse. Though Across the Universe is more of a fun ride than anything to be studied and greatly examined. Despite a few flaws, the production design and cinematography are impressive, it's visually stunning and filled with great detail. The cast is wonderful, Martin Luther shocked me with his version of While My Guitar Gently Weeps.
In conclusion, while there are a few imperfections, overall Across the Universe is a fun and beautiful film that will provide a new context for your favourite Beatles' songs. It may also give you new goals in life, for instance after seeing the on-screen relationship between Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) and Jude (Jim Sturgess) I've decided that I want something quite similar. I insist you watch it, if only for the reason that Bono of U2 makes an wonderful cameo. 3.5/5
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