Review - Across the Universe | Rental Movie Guide

Review – Across the Universe

Posted on 2008 under Action & Adventure

Genre: Musical / Drama

Cast & Credits
Lucy: Evan Rachel Wood
Jude: Jim Sturgess
Max Carrigan: Joe Anderson
Sadie: Dana Fuchs

Revolution Films presents a movie directed by Julie Taymor. Written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. Based on the story by Julie Taymor, Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais.

Running time: 131 minutes.

** Spoilers ahead **

How about a 131-minute long Beatles video?

This movie is nothing short of a masterpiece. It has controlled, striking and deep performances, beautiful photography by the Oscar nominated Bruno Delbonnel, a charming story and to top all that, 34 breathtaking songs composed by the Beatles themselves.

Set in the 60s, the story starts in Liverpool, with a young ship mechanic named Jude (Jum Sturgess, as a reference to the song 'Hey Jude' that is used later in the film). From the scenes in the beginning of the film, we get the impression that Jude is leaving Liverpool for better things to come, and so he does. He travels to the US in search of his father, who never knew he existed. After a short, very matter-of-fact confrontation with him at Princeton University where he works as a janitor, Jude moves along with his life, making friends with some students on-campus. Among them, is Max (Joe Anderson, and a definite character reference to the song 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer'), a money wise fortunate, yet defiant young man, who sees no sense in studying further.

Max takes Jude home to celebrate thanksgiving, where he meets the family, who show great concern in Max's rebellious nature, and are hell-bent on an explanation. But in the midst of chaos, Jude finds beauty in the form of Lucy (Evan Rachel Woods in her second stunning performance this year after King of California, and as a reference to the song 'Lucy in the sky with diamonds'). Lucy's boyfriend is drafted to Vietnam at this point and we already know what's going to happen next.

Max then drops out of Princeton and moves to New York with Jude. Lucy follows suit soon, and together they meet their hot landlord Sadie (Dana Fuchs, and a reference to the song 'Sexy Sadie') and her boyfriend JoJo (Martin Luther) who incidentally turn out to be struggling musicians. It has been suggested that Sadie and JoJo are references to Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix, two infamous musicians of that era.

There is a rude awakening from the comfort of home as Max is suddenly tested for being drafted to Vietnam in a sequence that is award-worthy and drenched in symbolism. Soldiers with protruding jaw lines and robotic gestures march through a miniature of Vietnam holding a giant Statue of Liberty over their backs. We are also introduced to Prudence, a young bisexual girl who hitchhikes from Ohio to New York. And boy, did she have an entrance. 'She came in through the bathroom window'. Although, later in the movie, she does lock herself in her room, and cause everyone else to sing 'Hey Prudence', the song that you must've already associated her name with.

Pretty soon, Lucy and Jude become somewhat of an item. Bono makes a special appearance in the film as Dr. Robert, singing 'I am the walrus', as he introduces our central characters to psychedelic drugs and takes them on a journey in his bus, throwing the film into a vortex of wildly colourful and suggestive imagery. Comedian Eddie Izzard makes a commanding appearance as a circus ringmaster singing 'For the benefit of Mr. Kite' as he entertains them with his uncanny circus.

But this drug-spiked state of bliss is short-lived. Soon, Max is drafted to Vietnam. Lucy takes it upon herself to make a change because she didn't want to lose one more person to the war. She joins a radical anti-war movement, leaving Jude mostly alone at home, sketching away in solitude. This affects him mentally and results in a fracture in his relationship with Lucy, and as a result, we see the fracture spread across the spine of the entire storyline. Sadie and JoJo suddenly are having problems and Max is being terrorised by the war he's fighting. Jude then storms into Lucy's office one day and argues and fights with her colleagues, forcing them to throw him out. Lucy's heart breaks and following this, she leaves Jude.

Jude later finds her at an anti-war protest that turns violent, and in his attempt at saving Lucy, he gets sent to prison, where he is recognised as an illegal resident and sent back to Liverpool. This, in some respects, has been said to bear resemblance to John Lenon's deportation by the US Government for being 'Unamerican', an act of control against the peace protests he was known for.

Later, Lucy walks into her political group's office and finds them making home-made explosives. She is disturbed by this and walks away, leaving them for good. In another award-worthy scene, Jude and Max, who has now returned from war communicate through what must have been a letter, a scene that was filmed with my personal favourite song, 'Hey Jude'.

This film is wonderful because more than anything, it's a study of the Beatles. The music - the influences, the political, psychedelic and personal catalysts that made them what they were. Everything in this film is a reference to the Beatles in some way or the other. So, if you're a Beatles fan, you'll really love this movie. For others, it might take a little getting used to, because there's hardly a total of 10 minutes in the movie where there isn't a song playing. So, you get the picture.

But if there's one thing that this film has done to me, it sure has turned me into a Beatles fan. Look out for the soundtrack of this film. I hear there's a 31-track deluxe edition available.