Across the Universe

One of my favorite movies, besides The Lion King, is Across the Universe. (Photo credit: Lost Forest After Dark)

Across the Universe is my favorite movie because I love the way it incorporates the Beatles' most influential songs into a movie that recognizes the struggles of the Revolutions during the Vitenam War. The story line keeps you interested and the cinematography is extremely unique. Evan Rachel Wood, who also starred in Thirteen, is one of my favorite acrtresses. The reniditions of the Beatles' songs are well constructed and gives rightful credit to the songs original artists.

Across the Universe is a movie musical that uses a score of some of the Beatles greatest hits. The movie is set in the 1960's and is about a British dock worker, Jude, who travels to America to find his father. While he's there, he meets Max, a wealthy college drop-out but it's Max's little sister, Lucy that changes Jude fancies. The three of them move to New York with an aspiring singer Sadie (Janis Joplin-like figure), and her guitarist and love interest, Jojo (Jimi Hendrix-like figure). They live in a time of the revolution during the Vietnam War. Lucy's boyfriend is killed in combat and Max is relucantly drafted to fight on the frontlines in Vietnam. Jude and Lucy fall in love and together they journey to find something they truely believe in. Lucy joins a anti-war student activists group that publishes articles and pictures with anti-war messages. Lucy also attends some anti-war protests. Jude makes it very clear to Lucy that he dissaproves the protests and during a riot that Lucy helps organize, Jude is arrested and deported back to England. They now had an ocean between them but since "all you need is love" Jude eventually returns to New York once again and into Lucy's arms.

Though overall the critics' scores were average, some of the biggest newpapers gave Across the Universe high scores. The New York Times says "Across the Universe will capture your heart" and the Chicago Sun-Tribune calls it "bold, beautiful, and visually enchanting". Like all movies, there were reviews that found Across the Universe a dud. There were some that were actually really nasty. The Chicago Reader stated "if the bullet hadn't killed John Lennon, this Beatles-scored musical might have". Most readers rated the movie either a 10 or 1. So for most, Across the Universe is a hit or it's miss.