Rockhall.com claims that Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon and George Harrison revolutionized the music industry. Time.com calls them the most astonishing rock ‘n roll band in the world. They might have landed in America in the 1960s, but thanks to a recent DVD release, the Beatles may gain a new audience forty years later.
Directed by Julie Taymor, Across the Universe showcases classic Beatles songs in a contemporary dramatic musical.
Jim Sturgess stars as Jude, a young British man who travels to America in the 1960s to meet his estranged father. Jude makes new friends, tries some drugs and falls for Lucy, played by Evan Rachel Wood. The film takes the audience through Jude and Lucy’s relationship and a change in the country.
According to IMDB.com, actual events are reenacted in the film such as a riot at Columbia University and a rooftop performance in which police stop the Beatles from playing their music.
In addition, the film is packed with references to the Beatles and other famous musicians of the era including Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix.
Featuring the famous Beatles songs “Hey Jude,” “Dear Prudence” and “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” Across the Universe blends 29 songs into a plot.
The actors and actresses perform the songs in the film rather than the original tracks.
Even U2’s Bono plays a character and contributes two songs to the soundtrack including “I am the Walrus.”
The new recordings may disappoint generations that remember and love the original songs by the Beatles.
Some scenes display the effects of drug use. These scenes could be seen as more artistic than offensive. Across the Universe is rated PG-13 for drug use, nudity, language and violence. It is available on DVD now.