Beatles musical is a hit
Josh Borrelli, Reporter
November 7, 2007
"Across the Universe," directed by Julie Taymor, is a musical of sorts told by songs of the Beatles. Thirty-four different Beatles songs are re-sung and interwoven throughout the film, often accompanied by dancing and/or various special effects. The story is set in the 1960s, and the characters must deal with the issues of social inequality and the Vietnam War. Jim Sturgess stars as Jude ("Hey Jude"), a young Brit from Liverpool who falls in love with Lucy ("Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"), played by Evan Rachel Wood. What first appears to be a perfect love soon begins to fall apart as the couple has trouble resolving their differences.
This movie left me feeling confused at the end. Was it amazing, mediocre, or just weird? There were moments when I absolutely loved it. The soundtrack is amazing- it is the Beatles, after all. And there are scenes when the combination of music, singing, and dancing is enough to make you want to jump up and sing along (which I did, minus the jumping). Unfortunately, the movie was far from perfect. I repeatedly felt like the director tried to cram in as many Beatles songs as possible (thirty-four is a lot!), and some songs felt forced and out of place. There were also moments when the special effects were just too far-fetched for the average viewer. Sometimes the symbolism hit home, like when soldiers were shown carrying the statue of liberty across the terrains of Vietnam singing "She's so Heavy!" but often the special effects were quite strange, as in the circus scene "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite." The conflict was also easily resolved, as the movie comes to a quick and somewhat predictable ending (which I won't spoil for those who haven't seen it).
In the end, it's hard not to like this movie. The characters are lovable, the music is amazing, and the special effects are... interesting. But it probably won't become a favorite of most as few are able to truly appreciate the artistic and symbolic effects that are found throughout the film. In fact, I'd recommend the soundtrack over the movie, because it was the music that made the movie enjoyable.