Across The Universe (2007)

Across The Universe






As me and my friend listened to one of The Beatles's songs, I popped out a question of what to be reviewed next. My friend thought and stumbled a while but seemingly as he was being carried away with the music listened to, he came up with an idea for me to make a film review about a musical, historical-related drama concerning America's turmoil in 1960-1970's. The movie revolved around a multi-fold circumstance happened in America during this period of time: dreaming and try pursuing a war-free world and race&gender equality through movements of freedom led actively by college students with the backdrop of a chaotic Vietnam War and ornamented by a colourful,eccentric and laissez-faire way of life adopted by Hippie communities. We also are about to be drawn in a 33 original compositions of Beatles's songs all penned originally by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr between the period of 1962-1967. This musical drama arranges the 33 legendary pieces of The Beatles song as an essential conjugator of the storyline.

Storyline :
The story opened up with Jude(Jim Sturgess)sang his heart out, looking devastated and wondered about a girl concerning her whereabouts. The story immediately flashes back, showcasing his life as a Liverpool shipyard worker(blue collar)wondering for his father who has abandoned him when he was still an unborn baby. He illegally came to U.S in search of his father while along the way, restoring his passion in painting as a freelance artist. Switch places to America, Lucy(Evan Rachel Wood) was a sweet girl facing the reality that her boyfriend is about to be enlisted in the military army serving US combat in the Vietnam war. Then there was Prudence from Ohio who was smitten by a girl and having a rough time accepting her condition. Move to another scene, there was Sadie, a struggling,rocking, star quality vocalist and JoJo whose brother was accidentally murdered in Detroit's 1967 racial clash before eventually decided to move out to Greenwich-New York, to collect his scattered life. Also there was Max, a rebellious Princeton university law student who had a different idea about how life should be conducted and his ongoing struggle with the family that did not understand his Hippie-impressed way of life. All of them mingled together, discover something together, and found an antidote in each other company in a different way.

Trivia:
The 33 Beatles original songs featured sequentially in the movie are as listed below:
1. "Girl"
2. "Helter Skelter"
3. "Hold Me Tight"
4. "All My Loving"
5. "I Want to Hold Your Hand"
6. "With a Little Help from My Friends"
7. "It Won't Be Long"
8. "I've Just Seen a Face"
9. "Let It Be"
10. "Come Together"
11. "Why Don't We Do It in the Road?"
12. "If I Fell"
13. "I Want You (She's So Heavy)"
14. "Dear Prudence"
15. "Flying" instrumental(composed by Ringo Starr)
16. "Blue Jay Way"
17. "I Am the Walrus"
18. "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!"
19. "Because"
20. "Something"
21. "Oh! Darling"
22. "Strawberry Fields Forever"
23. "Revolution"
24. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
25. "Across the Universe"
26. "And I Love Her"
27. "Happiness Is a Warm Gun"
28. "A Day in the Life"
29 "Blackbird"
30. "Hey Jude"
31."Don't Let Me Down"
32. "All You Need Is Love"
33. "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"
All song were re-sung by the leading roles ( Jim Sturgess, Evan Rachel Wood,Joe Anderson, Dana Fuchs, Martin Luther McCoy, T.V Carpio )including one song("I am the Walrus) performed by Bono-U2. The negative film-effect seen on this part("I am the Walrus" being sung) was a mere symbolic phase of what most sacred to Hippie communities during the time: a hazardous, mind-wrecking LSD(Lysergic Acid Diethylamide). Cannabis are widely known to have this particular psychedelic/hallucinogenic effect.

The movie only scored half out of full score from critics and earned a below-budget earnings, even though the movie was nominated as Best Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy in 65th Golden Globe Award. From my perspective though, this movie is worth pursuing to be seen.

Insight:
There are no freedom in a freedom that is executed too much. Living up the dream is one thing, how we do it is what defines it.
--quoted--
Uncle Teddy: Because, Maxwell, what you do defines who you are.
Max: No, Uncle Teddy. Who you are defines what you do. Right Jude?
Jude: [awkward] ... Well, surely it's not what you do, but the, uh... the way that you do it.
--quoted--
Live freely and execute responsibly. By the end of a movie, discern again to the sentence quoted above to create a chill effect. =D

P.S : Thanks to a friend, DU, who has sparked my willing to draft this movie review.
Lastly and hopefully this Beatles's song-inspired movie will carry you all away as well.(NA)