Across The Universe

1116 Words3 Pages

Across The Universe is a story that takes you into the lives of the true flower children during the 1960s. Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood), Jude (Jim Sturgess), and Max (Joe Anderson), are on a journey to achieve peace, love, and happiness. Lucy and Max are siblings whose family is very wealthy. Lucy loses her first true love to the War in Vietnam and begins to spiral into depression. Her brother, Max, drops out of college against his family’s wish, and he and Lucy run away to New York City to escape their high class life. There, they meet Jude, a man from Liverpool who hopped the United States’ border to experience foreign life. The three of them bounce around the city, enjoying all it has to offer, occasionally under the influence of drugs. Lucy, Jude, and Max join a band of hippies protesting the war and march and chant in large protest lines. The movie depicts scenes of the police punching and abusing peaceful protesters, while comparing it to scenes of men ruthlessly shooting innocent civilians in the Vietnam War. Throughout the movie, Lucy and Jude begin to fall in love, which causes some of the main difficulties.

Across The Universe is generally categorized as a musical because of the strong musical influence maintained throughout the movie. A strong example of a traditional musical is The Sound of Music. The 1965 classic has a simple plot line with songs framing each scene. The main purpose of the songs is simply to help move the plot along. Maria (Julie Andrews) sings “I Have Confidence” as she is preparing for her new job as a nanny after being in a nunnery most of her adult life. “I Have Confidence” along with the many other beautiful songs in the soundtrack are originally made to fit the plotline of the musica...

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... sixties were and therefore the group just goes with the flow and takes life as it comes. Max, Lucy, and Jude do not have a real purpose to what they are doing; they are just enjoying life.

Across The Universe is not your typical musical. It involves controversial issues of sexuality, drug use, and violence. Despite the fact it is so modern, it is a cleverly made musical. The plot line is unique and unpredictable and the vocals would have made The Beatles proud. This movie makes viewers want to travel back and relive the rebellious sixties. It is a love story wrapped in the journey for peace, love, and happiness. If you can get past the radical plot this movie has something for everyone, romance, comedy, and even a little bit of action. I would recommend this movie to anyone who is a Beatles fan or simply wants to relive the sixties for two glorious hours.

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