Across the Universe

Across the Universe is like so many other movies I have seen before and yet I still enjoyed it.

The latest theatrical musical to come out of Hollywood has gone where many other films have gone before.

It has the grand scale of Moulin Rouge. It has the anti-war, pro-love message of Hair. It has the star-crossed lovers of Romeo and Juliet. It even has the soundtrack containing reinterpreted Beatles songs of I Am Sam.

So, how can such an unoriginal and at times cringe-worthy film still be pleasing to a reviewer who by and large dislikes musicals? The answer is that the film never takes itself too seriously and it achieves its aims of being only mildly thought-provoking popcorn fare.

Across the Universe is a love story set against the backdrop of the 1960s amid the turbulent years of anti-Vietnam war protest, mind-exploration and rock ‘n’ roll. The film begins in the dockyards of Liverpool where Jude (yes, as in ‘Hey Jude’) decides to leave for America to find his long lost father. He ends up in Detroit, which is like a musical version of Happy Days, where he meets Lucy (yes, as in ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’).

Jude soon moves to the psychedelic world of Greenwich Village and inhabits an apartment along with Lucy’s older brother Max. The apartment is full of artists, musicians and sojourners. Jude and Max fall into this final category.

Lucy soon joins the young men in Greenwich Village and her relationship with Jude quickly blossoms. However, when Max is conscripted to fight in Vietnam, Lucy turn her attention to anti-war protest and her relationship with Jude quickly crumbles as she spends more time with the handsome leader of the peace movement.

Across the Universe’s supporting characters feature in some interesting albeit melodramatic plot lines. One couple pursue their music career with a soulful fire and passion that mirrors their feelings for one another. Their volatile relationship appears to be a reference to Ike and Tina Turner’s tumultuous marriage. Meanwhile, a young Asian-American girl struggles with unfulfilled lesbian attractions and tries to express herself artistically.

One cannot deny that the film is visually stunning. The montage of Max being poked, prodded and trained in readiness for battle is particularly memorable. It is a good illustration of the conveyor belt, cookie cutter-like method in which young men were shipped off to war.

Bono, Joe Cocker and Eddie Izzard also feature in some very colourful supporting roles that must be seen to be believed. In fact, Bono’s roll as a whacked-out sprit guide is a little disconcerting given his professed Christianity, but acting is acting, so I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.

While Across the Universe succeeds as an aesthetically pleasing feast both visually and aurally (I mean, who doesn’t like Beatles songs?) it fails to offer any real and lasting solutions to the world’s problems of conflict at the international or human relationship level.

Words like ‘peace’ and ‘love’ are thrown around a lot in Across the Universe and in modern life but they are often amorphous concepts. Many people talk about wanting peace, but often the term has about as much sincerity as the words of a beauty queen at a pageant. Before peace and love can be attained, we have to know what these words – these concepts – really mean.

It may sound obvious to the seasoned church-goer, but Jesus is where we see what peace and love truly mean.

In Isaiah 9, Jesus is referred to as the Prince of Peace. This is not because he wore a white nightie, gave calming hand gestures and said some way out things (despite what some Jesus films might tell us).  Jesus brings peace by choosing to die for us, bear the punishment for our sin and repair our relationship with God. Even this side of heaven, humans can enjoy peace with God and one another because of the work completed in Jesus.

And what is love? According to Across the Universe it’s passionate sex, passionate arguments and singing to each other. This is typified in a hearty rendition of ‘All You Need is Love’ sung by Jude to try and win Lucy back. But according to 1 John 3:16, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.”

The closest Across the Universe comes to displaying this kind of sacrificial love is Lucy’s efforts to save her brother Max from fighting in the war.

Sadly, as long as we keep looking to each other for models of love and peace and not Jesus who gave his life for us we will find ourselves coming up short.

Watch Across the Universe for a superb multi-sensory experience and little else.

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