Visually Stunning and Creative Musical Film

Rating: 10/10 (5 June 2011)

Julie Taymor's "Across the Universe" is a visually stunning musical arranged with Beetles songs. The turbulent era of 1960s is the backdrop of this whimsical love story. The social and political commentary (anti-war protests, struggles of freedom of speech and civil rights) give the characters and story depth and meaning. Although set in a different time period it is still relevant today as government and society continue the same cycle. The two main characters Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) and Jude (Jim Sturgess) come from different worlds. Lucy and her rebellious brother, Max come from Upper Middle class suburb of Brookline, MA and Max attends Princeton University, while Jude is a ship welder in Liverpool who makes his way to New York by ship to meet his father who he thinks is a professor at Princeton but turns out to be the janitor. There's also the Guitarist JoJo who has a Hendrix flair while his love interest and vocalist, Sadie personifying Janis Joplin and lovelorn Prudence who hitchhikes her way to NYC. Each character's story is interwoven and they all come together sharing a Greenwich Village apartment living a bohemian lifestyle.
The title of the movie, and many of the characters are named after various songs: Lucy, Jude, Max (Maxwell) Sadie, Mr. Kite, Prudence, and JoJo. The songs are used to set the mood of each scene and symbolize the character's internal struggle. We the audience gain insight through song and character's performance. The film uses the song, "Dear Prudence" as a subtle reference to Prudence character's reluctance to 'come out of the closet' in relation to her sexual orientation. Also, when Prudence sings "I want to hold your hand" it makes reference to her holding a hand she will never hold. The director Julie Taymor changes the mood and meaning of a upbeat song to one of frustration, unrequited love, and sadness.
The film sequence with the song "Come Together" featuring Joe Cocker illustrates the characters coming together adjusting to the New York City lifestyle before they meet cohabiting with one another. It also gives off social commentary of living in NYC- structure, robotic movements, and the rat race come to mind when the businessmen dance and expressionless city dwellers move systematically. There is a GI Joe dance sequence with the song "I want you she's so heavy" as Max is recruited into the war. He is sent on a conveyor belt as is a product being manufactured. He is the puppet being pulled by strings as he is molded into a soldier. Recruiters hold a statue of liberty as they walk through a Vietnam field singing "She's so heavy" as they take on the weight of responsibility or duty to their country. When Max sings "Hey Jude" it makes reference to the character Jude as he sulks in a Liverpool pub thinking of Lucy and his friends. Suddenly he makes the decision to go back to NY to try to get his girl back.
Many scenes derive from actual political events which are compressed within a short period: the song "Let it be" plays through the Detroit riots. Within the context of the film, this is a song about accepting death of loved ones. This is universal but the director gives us parallel stories. A young Black boy sings hiding behind a car while the riot occurs. His life is abruptly taken away along with Lucy's boyfriend who died in war. Julie Taymor shows images that people are familiar with but the context is what makes people see it with a new perspective. Other Political events include premature detonation of a bomb by a radical organization, the violent student protest at Columbia University, Vietnam war both referenced through the songs "Across the Universe" and "Helter Skelter". Julie Taymor also uses pale-bodied Asian women dancing top of the water referencing towards the dead civilians who have perished during the war.
Through all these events we see a radical shift in politics during a era filled with cultural, social, and political upheavals. In the end, the director gives us her central message or punch line as all the characters meet on a rooftop to sing the song, "All You Need is Love." We all need the same thing in the end, love. It is a anti-war film which tell us through life we must remember to come together to create peace, love and unity.