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 Though
the music is oh so familiar— 33 Beatles songs— and the story is about as
politically motivated as it gets, Julie Taymor’s Across the Universe
gives us some of the most phenomenally sumptuous visuals and unabashed
romanticism ever seen on film, and that’s enough. A story of 60s
revolution and romance set to the tune of songs that defined the entire
era, Across the Universe is brilliant if only for its daring message, a
message that literally and figuratively parallels the Iraq War
sentiments; like the Vietnam war protesters it depicts, the film reaches
something very powerful in the process. Now, be aware, this film IS NOT
for everyone. It contains a very strong artistic aspect which transcends
your typical often "rational" viewer. Quite frankly, though, the stories
aren’t what matters in the process of watching this DVD. A number of
critics will inevitably argue that Across the Universe could have been a
better film, but it’s INCREDIBLY stunning EXACTLY as it is, and opens up
new vistas of the imagination in the way that youth and rock and roll
themselves have been known to do on MANY occasions. Much more than pure
baby boomer nostalgia, Across the Universe tickles a nerve for anyone
willing to let aesthetics and genuine emotion sweep them away. The film
starts off strong, introducing our characters in their various locations
as they awake to the potential revolution of the changing decade. Jude
(Jim Sturgess) is a Liverpudlian bidding goodbye to his sweetheart (with
“All My Loving”) as he makes his way to America; the character actually
represents the fab four brilliantly, if one were to combine them all
into one single person. Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood), a high school girl in
the suburbs, sings “It Won’t Be Long” before she and her Vietnam-bound
boyfriend are together (you can probably guess that he doesn’t make it
back). Jude quickly befriends Lucy’s brother Max (Joe Anderson), a
Princeton student who informs Jude that he gets by “With A Little Help
From My Friends.” Elsewhere, Prudence (T.V. Carpio) is an Ohio
cheerleader crooning to a fellow pom-pom bearer “I Wanna Hold Your
Hand,” before she hits the road and heads for New York to discover her
sexuality... or at least make others more aware of it.
 Max,
Jude, Lucy and the others eventually do the same, moving into the
communal Greenwich Village apartment run by Sadie (Dana Fuchs), a sexy
rock-and-roller with a Janis Joplin growl. They arrive to the tune of
“Come Together” (led by Detroit escapee JoJo, played by Martin Luther
McCoy), listen to Sadie and JoJo’s band singing “Why Don’t We Do It In
The Road?”, and all encourage a depressed Prudence to come out to see
the day with, well, you probably know by now. Jude and Lucy fall in
love, as do Sadie and JoJo, while Max must face his call to duty in
Vietnam. The music in the first half of the film fits seamlessly with
the story, whether it’s a fantastical dance number in a bowling alley to
“I Just Saw a Face” or Lucy gently musing on her potential romance with
Jude by singing “If I Fell.” The most spectacular of these early numbers
is “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”, a terrifying stylized scene of
military indoctrination in which recruits are stripped down and examined
in tiny boxes, before being sent to the jungle to haul the Statue of
Liberty (the “she” of the title). At the end the song morphs into a
seductive dance between Sadie and JoJo, a brilliant balance of both the
song’s darkness and inherent romance. About halfway through the film,
even as the musical numbers get weirder and more visually splendid, the
story starts to meander into the madness that defined the entire era...
confusion, anger, passion, lust and much more...
The whole gang joins up with the mysterious Dr. Robert (Bono,
doing a pretty damn impressive American accent), who drives them off in
his psychedelic bus to meet Mr. Kite (Eddie Izzard), a ringmaster from
hell who dances with ten blue puppet men, [the Blue Meenies for those of
you who actually watched Yellow Submarine]. Though it may be a gorgeous—
and rather "stylized" artistic interpretation of Lennon and McCartney’s
lyrics we are still left to ponder its essential purpose... But you see,
that, my friends, was the GENIUS of Lennon and McCartney's lyrical
prose... they rarely if ever meant just one thing. The story lurches
along after that, and purposely so as the heady excitement of bohemia
gives way to the gritty protests and Vietnam footage that defined the
rest of the decade, and our lovers must go through the expected ups and
downs of romance that has been seen many times before only this time it
is much more visually captivating.
 The
story becomes much more of a "backdrop" because the visuals and
emotions that Taymor has evoked often feel entirely new. But I didn't
have a problem with that at all... and I'm a writer by trade!
Performance art isn't necessarily something we can all snuggle up to
with a warm cup of English tea. It's something that is far better "felt"
than interpreted. Much more like a lucid dream, Across The Universe is
indeed a bold cinematic risk and I for one love that. The performers all
sing their hearts out, and the acting is filled with a sort of "massive
consciousness"... and in many moments this is what truly connects us to
their characters. Across the Universe could have been a better film, if
given the typical "Hollywood A-List Budget"... but it’s pretty damn
stunning as it is, and opens up new vistas of the imagination in the way
that youth and rock and roll themselves have been known to do. Much more
than pure baby boomer nostalgia, Across the Universe tickles a nerve for
anyone willing to let aesthetics and genuine emotion sweep them away.
UB
Distributed by: Sony Home
Entertainment
Genre: Drama, Musical
Rating:
Cast
Evan Rachel Wood as Lucy Carrigan
Jim Sturgess as Jude
Joe Anderson as Max Carrigan
Dana Fuchs as Sadie
Martin Luther as JoJo (as Martin Luther McCoy)
T.V. Carpio as Prudence
Spencer Liff as Daniel
Lisa Hogg as Jude's Liverpool Girlfriend
Nicholas Lumley as Cyril
Michael Ryan as Phil
Angela Mounsey as Martha/Jude's Mother
Dylan Baker as Max's Father
Bono as Dr. Robert
Eddie Izzard as Mr. Kite
Salma Hayek as Singing Nurse
DVD Features
Format: AC-3, Disc Two Featurettes,
Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Subtitled,
Widescreen, NTSC, Language: English, Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1, Number of
discs: 2, Total Run Time: 133 minutes
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