“Across the Universe” is a romantic drama/musical inspired by the Beatles’ music. The movie includes 34 covers of songs that build the plot of the story. It follows the romance between main characters, Jude and Lucy, during the politically tumultuous 1960s. The movie highlights the work of a group of college-aged individuals during the Vietnam-era as they dabble in drugs and join the anti-war movement. All-american sweetheart, Lucy Carrigan, portrayed by Evan Rachel Wood, loses her high school sweetheart to the war and joins the movement wholeheartedly, preaching the hippy ideals of peace and love. Her name was inspired by the Beatles’ song, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” Lucy eventually falls for British shipyard worker, Jude, inspired by the song “Hey Jude,” portrayed by Jim Sturgess while he is searching for his American father. Lucy, Jude and their gaggle of friends find themselves in a series of strange and oftentimes, illegal situations where they’re forced to make critical decisions that alter their own futures and one another's. Some are sent to fight in Vietnam, while others face their own battles back home in the United States. This masterpiece, directed by Julie Taymor, was released in 2007 and is a movie that many college-aged students can relate to. It depicts a lot of similar issues we have today and the desire for social activism. Our problems are slightly different now, but the young still have the same passion to fix wrong doings against others. The use of the complex characters and of the Beatles’ songs to strengthen the plot throughout the movie makes it simply riveting. The music gives the movie a whole other element, depth. Music is a medium to express the struggles of a group, which is exactly what the Beatles’ did. Their music is still relevant today, especially as depicted in this motion picture.
