Across The Universe
I just added “Across The Universe” to my DVD collection
This movie has moved very high to the top of my list of great musicals. I place it with Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” and The Who’s “Tommy” and Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!” Disclaimer: I’m a huge Beatles fan.
It’s a love story that takes place during the Vietnam War. Young men were changing overseas and young men and women were changing here at home.
You hardly notice it is a musical performance movie. Many scenes are done in the psychedelic style of the sixties. Choreographed dances are not standard ‘tap’ or ‘high kick’ routines. They are more like fight scenes from “West Side Story”, only better.
It captures you from the opening scene. One man (Jude) sitting on a beach. As the camera closes in he begins to sing.
” Is there anybody going to listen to my story,
All about the girl who came to stay?
She’s the kind of girl you want so much it makes you sorry,
Still you don’t regret a single day.”
Most Beatles fans would consider this a ‘must have’ movie. It’s worth watching just to hear T.V. Carpio (Prudence) sing “I Want to Hold Your Hand”, but you’ll stick around to hear Sadie and JoJo play their last (illegal) performance on the roof.