Across the Universe
By Jessica Smith Julie Taymor’s “Across the Universe” is visually amazing, but to call it a movie stretches the definition of one. It consists of a two-hour string of music videos tied together with only a sketch of a plot. The film stars Evan Rachel Wood (“Thirteen”) as Lucy, and relative unknowns Jim Sturgess and Joe Anderson as Jude and Max. The film’s claim to fame is its use of the Beatles’ lyrics and music. An array of stereotypical 60s characters use performances of Beatles’ songs to express their emotions or tie their lives to the turbulent events of the decade. The film’s creators use a complicated formula mixing animation, choreography and love stories with more serious political undertones. The general plot of the film is simple. Jude, a working class Englishman from Liverpool, goes to America in search of his biological father. In this quest Jude encounters Max, a rebellious Ivy Leaguer who takes him to meet his family for Thanksgiving. Here, Jude meets Lucy, Max’s sister, and the love story begins from there. The trio all end up moving to New York City, where they face the 1960s counterculture revolution in full force. The entire film’s plot waltzes through a montage of 60s political history, from race riots to protests at Columbia University. What the creators are trying to do is respectable but unfortunately it is not clear. At its core, “Across the Universe” is an homage to the 1960s and the Beatles. The characters’ performances show how one band could encompass a variety of emotions and life struggles in its songs. The main problem is that the plot is so loosely construed and glazed over with psychedelic images that it is hard to conjure any emotion towards the characters, ruining the sentimentality and nostalgia of the film’s message. By the end, no one really cares what happens to the characters. In trying to be novel, the filmmakers often get lost in their own psychedelic flashbacks. The ambiance of the film is stunning even if it at times overpowers the plot. Everything from the camera angles to the choreography of the songs is experimental, and if not that extreme, at least atypical. As the drug use of the characters increases with the evolving decade, so too does the absurdity of the animation. The characters evolve as society changes, much like the Beatles themselves transformed. Yet, the increase in intense imagery makes it harder to look at “Across the Universe” as a film because it seems to be moving art set to music more than anything else. From Bono’s boisterous cameo as Dr. Robert singing a rendition of “I am the Walrus” in an eclectic drug-fueled party to the serene water imagery in “Because,” the scenery is engrossing. The “Strawberry Fields” dialectic between Max and Jude, one character fighting for his life, the other struggling to hold on to his love is an especially remarkable visual and emotional juxtaposition. The visual metaphor of strawberries for blood is unreal. It’s unfortunate that ruining the scenery at times is the music. With exceptions, the renditions of the Beatles’ songs feel hollow and stripped down to basics. If you are not an avid Beatles listener, this might not bother you. As a Beatles fan, the film is at times hard to sit through. Everything seems wrong. Often, there are flatly sung vocals to relatively boring, empty music. The performances by Wood and Sturgess seem forgettable and uninspired, and many of the songs feel butchered. Their usage within the plot usually does not pertain to their actual intended meaning, just a superficial one. Still, I cannot write this movie off as a loss. The cameo of Bono and Joe Cocker’s rendition of “Come Together” were memorable performances by professionals and high points of the film. But if you are going to spend ten dollars to see this movie, see it for two reasons: Joe Anderson (Max) and Dana Fuchs (Sadie). Every time Anderson enters a scene it is automatically better. He has an enigmatic quality and energy much greater than that of his costars. When Anderson sang “Hey Jude” and especially “Happiness is a Warm Gun,” I was glad I saw this movie. Dana Fuchs has to be one of the best singers in this film. Her version of “Why Don’t We Do It In the Road?” resembles a female form of Paul McCartney’s voice. Fuchs’s “Oh Darling” musical argument with Jo-Jo (Martin Luther) is captivating and creative without the overuse of psychedelic visuals. It is a rare, perfectly balanced moment in the film. Most of the way into the film it becomes clear that this is not supposed to be about the Beatles themselves, just an artistic rendering of the generation they sang to. So, if you step away from the arrogant music-fan angle, this movie is actually something original and different from the status quo in Hollywood. It definitely needs some development and organization, but as a whole, “Across the Universe” is worth seeing, even for the psychedelia alone. |
