I’ll be honest. I missed that stage in sophomore year of high school that tons of us went through where we got really into classic rock like Led Zepplin, CCR, The Doobie Brothers, The Who, Jimi, and of course, The Beatles. I was way to busy going to my friend’s basement concert, or some VFW for a $3 local show to care about these ancient bands that were only played on the “oldies” station, and I totally regret it.
But, I’ve paid the price, and definitely learned my lesson, and since my senior year at Charles B. Whitnall, I’ve been catching up on all the of the wonderful, world changing music that I missed in my ignorant youth. I’ve taken a special liking to the ever-popular Beatles, not just for their musical masterpieces but for their politics and ethics as well. The passion just pours out in each song like a flood through the speakers.
Another thing I missed the ship on was the 60s and really no one is to blame there, except for maybe my parents, but I think my dad was in elementary school when “Abbey Road” came out, so I can let it slide. For all of us that missed out on one of the most definitive eras in our nation’s history, “Across The Universe” is a wonderful recap of the timeline of events that reshaped America. And the best part is it uses 33 different songs by The Beatles.
There is nothing I can say that can accurately describe “Across The Universe” to give it justice, but not because it was that outrageously awesome, but because it was that outrageous. The movie is a work of art. It has running themes, it has characters, it has flaws, and it has a message. The themes run deep, the characters even deeper, while the flaws float on the surface, and the message drills straight to the core.
Thirty-three songs, some set up with exquisitely scripted theatrics and others with an orgy of visual effects and drug induced alterations. Some say it’s a musical, others say it’s a two hour music video.
I say that it is an art gallery that exposes all the back-stories, all of the emotion, the feeling, the circumstances and scenarios, all of the pain and loss and moving on, the fighting, the resistance, the struggle—everything that made the 60s what they are, and shows these things to the audience. It goes beyond the canvas and into the “where were you when ‘X’ happened” questions when we see pictures of burnt draft cards, VW vans, and yellow submarines.
The loose storyline follows Jude, a British dockyard worker from Liverpool, who jumps to the States to find his dad. He runs with a soon-to-be Ivy League drop-out named Max and moves to New York, into the beating heart of culture and freedom of expression. When Max’s sister Lucy finds out her boyfriend has been killed in Vietnam she moves in with the boys just as Max gets word that he has a date with Uncle Sam. As Jude and Lucy fall for each other, the flow of the city grabs hold of them and takes through steamy clubs, to guru huts, and back to tear gas and batons of the Columbia University protests.
While the plot jumps around on its shaky structure, it is really the screenplay itself that carries the movie. The casting and acting are solid all the way through, and movie forums tell me that 90% of the songs were done live, on set, which, to me, is very impressive. Taymor takes liberties in her directing and creates something very original and fresh, that even with all of the flaws, forced songs, and obvious references, these are all too easily overpowered by the depths that are gone to in order to make it a very magical and mysterious experience.
Almost every scene that doesn’t include a song has a reference to another song in what is happening on screen. The chemistry between the characters is not only believable but impossible to deny, and their musical performances are so tight, I had no doubt while I was watching it that most of the songs had to be done live, unless they casted for actors and actresses who can lip-synch vibrato.
The sets and scenery really make the movie. It gives a historical frame for all the action that takes place in its borders and this is very important for the message. The message is hard to define. I think it speaks to everyone a little differently, but “Across The Universe” definitely speaks, through a mega-phone, loud and clear.
The common vibe I got from peoples’ faces and the tone of their voices was emotion— just pure and raw emotion— and the all the energy that comes with it.
If there was one part of the 60s that the movie really drove home, it was the compulsion to move, to be active, to find something to believe in, to do something that you love, or just to love.
I would suggest “Across The World” for anyone, but I warn you it won’t be for everyone. It is free, it is expressive, there are guys’ back bottoms and girls’ top fronts, and it just might flat out be too weird for some people. But if you find yourself with an open mind and an appreciation for The Beatles, then you’ve found your film.

Reach Jonathan at JPRobert1732@winona.edu.