Set in America during the Vietnam War; Across the Universe is a powerful love story set against a backdrop of political and social unrest: it's a story of soul-searching; self-doubt; and individual powerlessness cleverly conveyed through a multitude of Beatles songs. Like young adults all across America during the 1960's; Jude (Jim Sturgess); Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood); Max (Joe Anderson); Sadie (Dana Fuchs); Prudence (T.V. Carpio); and JoJo (Martin Luther) are in turmoil over the war; questioning their individual roles in the war effort and struggling to find a way to hold true to their beliefs while making a difference in the world. While love proves a powerful uniting force; its limitations become clear as relationships are strained and broken over individual perceptions of responsibility to cause and country. A fairly bizarre juxtaposition of extremely stylized; almost hallucinogenic scenes of swirling colors and reflections; highly choreographed dance segments; seemingly commonplace character interaction; and emotionally packed close-up footage of characters lost in contemplative song; this film imparts a good sense of the confusion and passion of the time and is at once powerful; invigorating; and disturbing. The film runs a bit long at 2-hours 11-minutes and several segments drag noticeably thanks to some incredibly slow song tempos. Warning: this production may change how you think about a favorite Beatles song forever. --Tami Horiuchi

Beyond Across the Universe

Two-disc Special Edition

The Deluxe Soundtrack

Beatles audio CD

Stills from Across the Universe (click for larger image)