Review of Across the Universe (2007) by Omar L — 04 Feb 2016

"It's 2007. The sixties are over.".

I wrote that as an initial dismissal of this movie when I first saw the trailer of "Across the Universe" 10 years ago. I said that after getting annoyed with so many retrospectives celebrating the 60s, which was the opposite of how the 60s should be remembered. The 60s (which really means post-JFK to Watergate) was when so much social change happened in such a small span of time that the only comparable change happened during the Civil War.

This movie uses the voice of The Beatles to narrate the feelings of America in the 60s (which today's progressives would idiotically denounce as "cultural appropriation), and it does it so well. Yes, one of the characters is named Jude, but when "Hey, Jude" inevitably appears, the song is earned.

This movie is not without its flaws, however. Much more of this movie's rather long running time could have been devoted to the Civil Rights Movement, and a lot of that time could have been found in eliminating the completely unnecessary character of Prudence. But this film is a must see for any student of the era when politics, music, and art all helped change American society. And it's a must see for anyone who loves The Beatles.