Across the Universe, yo.

Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, otherwise known as The Beatles, were, and still are, one of the most influential rock bands of all time. The Beatles have influenced countless groups throughout the years, but recently, they have inspired a movie. Across the Universe, directed by Julie Taymor, is basically a Beatles musical. This movie follows an odd mix of characters all trying to survive the 1960s, throughout all of the anti-war protests, civil rights movements, and new forms of expression through rock and roll music. All of the characters are named after Beatles songs, like the main characters Jude and Lucy, and the film features some of the Beatles biggest hits, such as “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “All You Need is Love.” What makes this movie more interesting is the conflict of the Vietnam War.

The Vietnam War was an effort by the American government to try to contain communism in several Asian countries. The government installed a military draft that was used to fill the vacancies that could not be met by voluntary needs. Many young men were drafted into the military during this time period. In the movie, one of the main characters, Max, drops out of college to experience life on his own in New York City, when he is quickly drafted into the U.S. Military. In reaction to this, his sister, Lucy, begins to join the protests occurring in New York City at the time. The film really portrays the struggle to end the war in Vietnam. Another big part of the movie is drug experimentation.

During the 1960s, drug experimentation was a popular fad among the youth of America. The Beatles themselves were very interested in trying drugs, especially marijuana and LSD. This film portrays how easy it was for people to obtain drugs and use them, and the high that they got from them. The film shows Lucy and Jude going on a pyschedelic trip from LSD, while the song “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” is playing, a song which is an obvious drug reference. The movie shows Jude and Lucy in an alternate reality, where they float throw a sky of bright colors and mysterious figures, commonly known side effects of LSD. Overall, the film does a great job of describing life in the 1960s, as well as incorporating Beatles music in a whole new way.

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_beatles
http://www.beatle-fans.com/acrosstheuniverse.php
http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/acrosstheuniverse/site/

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