Across the Universe

I’ve got a confession to make. I am a recent convert to the brilliant Beatles. It was through countless playbacks of the thrashy but addictive ‘SHE LOVES TO YEA YEA YEA’ on my trips on the train that I came recently to fall in love with the whimsical lines that John Lennon penned for the song Across the Universe.

Here’s the first stanza:

Words are flying out like
endless rain into a paper cup
They slither while they pass
They slip away across the universe
Pools of sorrow waves of joy
are drifting thorough my open mind
Possessing and caressing me

Isn’t that brilliant? More like poetry isn’t it? It was with this mentality when I managed to lay my eyes on its namesake, the movie Across the Universe. And it was indeed like the song, whimsical and somewhat poetical. I enjoyed it really for the fancy dances and the lovely songs that I have come to love and appreciate. But it could have been so much better.

It is basically a movie of two tales: one that of a love story between a Scouser, Jude (yup, THAT same Jude) who went to the states in search of his father, and Lucy, who is the sister of Jude’s new found friend, Max, who was drafted for the Vietnam War; and a generational tale of the 1960s where demonstrations for the war became radicalized. Sad to say, the cliché love story failed to interest me as much as the renditions of the songs. Allusions and references were made to the Beatles and as a recent convert myself, I sang and ‘jived’ along to the psychedelic musical numbers (to the horror of my sister who caught me in the act ).

Well then. One scene caught my eye in particular. I really thought it was gorgeous. When Jude was gutted with Lucy who was involved in the violent protests against the war, he went into a room where there were rows of bleeding strawberries pinned onto a white background, the scene abruptly transformed into that of strawberry bombs being dropped into the jungles of Vietnam. Jude then started smashing strawberries into his artpiece, juice splattering all over like blood. I really thought that scene was fantastic with the whimsical ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ playing in the background.

Credit to the interpretations and renditions of the songs, the fine acting by Jim Sturgess (Jude) and Joe Anderson (Max) & the great production values. For all its promise, the storyline, with its half hearted sub plots, really let me down. For the uninitiated and non-Beatles fans, this musical might be a little too much for you to swallow (and sit through). Which explains why I didn't even notice this little gem when it was released in December. 3.25 / 5