Across the Universe

Set against the majestic, turbulent backdrop of the Sixties, Across the Universe plays out like melodious acid trip. The story is, at its heart, a simple love story between Jude (Jim Sturgess in his film debut), a young manual laborer from Liverpool, and Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood), a young woman from a privileged, conservative family in Ohio. Through their adolescent eyes we watch the civil rights movement unfold- from its unfortunate causes, to its gentle roots, to the point where it explodes into violent struggle and suppression, and all told by way of lush, familiar melodies from the Beatles songbook. Indeed, it is these songs which serve to fuse the movie into a cohesive whole and to imbue it with its fascinating magic. Perhaps my favorite performance is T.V. Carpio’s touching version of “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” This sequence in itself, in my opinion, was worth the price of admission. The scene featuring “Dear Prudence” is a close second, for both its literal and figurative meanings. The film truly grabs hold from the first moments, and only lags on a few occasion, and even then not enough to lose the viewer.

While not overly political, the film does offer some delicate anti-war messages, nothing at all like the ham handed attempts of some other recent releases. Sprinkled throughout are various memes and cultural references from the Sixties, including, but not limited to: Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters (and the Electric Kool-Aid Tests), Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and numerous allusions to Beatles iconography. Particularly interesting is a highly fanciful, reimagined telling of the relationship between Joplin and Hendrix.

The cast quite competently supply their own vocals, delivering innovative interpretations of the timeless melodies of the Beatles. Sturgess and Wood are believable and charismatic in their roles as the young lovers. Relative newcomer Joe Anderson is a veritable firebrand as Max, Lucy’s rebellious brother, delivering perhaps the most inspired performance of the film. Martin Luther McCoy is superb as Jojo and Dana Fuchs equally so as Sadie. Both are accomplished musicians and deliver perhaps the strongest musical renditions in the film. Bono gives a brilliant, surreal turn as hippie guru Dr. Roberts, and, quite appropriately, Joe Cocker plays three equally bizarre characters.

The film is yet another installment in a recent wave of musicals (perhaps only a ripple at this point- the first faint flaps of butterfly wings), a genre I am happy to see return to the limelight, particularly the rather avant-garde approach utilized by contemporary directors. Compared to the recently released Once, this film is far closer to a traditional musical, though with more than a few wonderful surprises. Also unlike Once (which is a far superior movie), Across the Universe remains a bit more superficial in its exploration of the characters, never delving too far into their psyches, though the final result is nevertheless charming and wholly captivating. Considering some of the content, I am practically giddy that this film earned a PG13 rating.

For all its majesty, the film nevertheless remains a flawed masterpiece. Its shining moments are many and beautiful, though it does on occasion fall somewhat flat. It is at its most powerful when depicting the relationships between the various characters, though it somewhat falters during some of the scenes employing special effects. Though they often work, at times these scenes come off as uneven, hastily planned, and poorly executed, almost as if they were added as an after thought. The film threatens to fall apart near the end, before pulling itself together for a well delivered finale. All told, the wonderful moments far outweigh the few ragged edges and the result is a thoroughly enjoyable experience.