Like bakelite, Packards, and Dwight D. Eisenhower, musicals are a quaint relic from another era, two complete generations removed from the Internet age. So watching people burst into song can be a little unnerving and off-putting, to say the least. Across The Universe follows the adventures of a group of friends living in the New York City counterculture of the turbulent late-60’s. And oh by the way, the characters are all named for Beatles songs (Max, Jude, Lucy, Jo Jo, Prudence, Sadie, etc), and their stories are told through the words and music of the Fab Four.
Surviving the first half hour is the key to enjoying this film. For 30 minutes you’re treated to a head-scratching blur of characters and settings, and you’ll undoubtedly think something along the lines of ‘Who are these twerps singing Beatles songs?’ Fight through it. When the song ‘Let It Be’ swings the action to a burning Detroit ghetto, the music – featuring 15 year-old Timothy Mitchum and a gospel choir – takes flight and adds another dimension to the Beatles work. Quite simply, you will never hear this song the same way after seeing these mesmerizing images.
The same could be said of the scenes that use ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ and ‘I Want You/She’s So Heavy’. The latter song is part of a creepy Army induction scene that builds to a squadron of boxer-clad soldiers lugging the Statue Of Liberty through a war-torn jungle. It’s a harrowing vision of the military that turns this Beatles tune on its ear and drains it of any other meaning.
Bono makes an excellent cameo appearance as Dr Robert, a psychedelic astronaut captain who is transparently based on Ken Kesey. His CGI-enhanced take on ‘I Am The Walrus’ is one of the most authentically trippy scenes ever captured on film, and worth the price of admission alone. Also notable is Eddie Izzard’s turn as Mr. Kite, which plays like an outtake from The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Not everything about Across The Universe works. It’s hokey in places. The plot drags at the beginning. And this bright and shiny take on the 60’s counterculture will undoubtedly rile anyone who actually lived through those times. But this movie has enough pleasant twists and thought-provoking images to make it worth your time. It’s no surprise that the music of The Beatles tells such a complete story of the 60’s experience. The surprise is that this movie proves to be so worthy of using those songs.
Tags: Across The Universe, Bono, Eddie Izzard, Movies, The Beatles, Timothy Mitchum
9 March 2008 at 2:53 pm |
I guess you either get the musical metaphor or you don’t, but I did not think Across the Universe was hokey at all. A lot of the things you found off-putting were metaphors for the 60s. Lots of characters coming and going? Well, a lot of young people back then lived in communes, or sought out neighborhoods like Haight-Ashbury. They rejected their traditional families in favor of groups they could relate to and who accepted them for who they were. People became much more open to those who were different from themselves, and relationships were much more casual and fleeting. I’m not saying this was all great, but it’s the way it was.
I thought the bright and shiny take on the 60s had to do with the fact that these kids had their whole lives in front of them, when everything feels bright and new and you still have your idealism. Also, I think the film had a psychedelic drugs feel to it, not exactly like Yellow Submarine, but definitely the bright colors, exaggerated characters, etc. After all, the Beatles wrote about Dr. Robert and Mr. Kite during their whole eastern mysticism phase.
Like a lot of period films, this one skims over some big events, using them as a background for the songs rather than plot points, but it definitely took me back in time. As I watched those events unfold on screen I felt all those raw emotions all over again. For me it was very realistic and very powerful, but then maybe you had to be there.