Across the Universe is one of those films which comes out and due to some cosmic act of ignorance, isn’t very well advertised or recognised by enough people to become the sort of film it should be: something being discussed by everyone. It’s a psychedelic acid trip taking the viewer on a journey through the turmoil of the 60s and set to the music of one of the world’s most influential and recognisable bands- The Beatles. And it’s brilliant.

The film’s opening scenes introduce us to Jude, a Liverpudlian dockworker imploring the viewer to listen to his story, about the kind of girl you want so much it makes you sorry. From this point on we’re treated to a myriad of some of the best songs ever written, as Jude moves away from his dull and uninteresting life in Liverpool for an adventure in the United States as he searches for his father who abandoned his mother before he was born. Once there he meets, by chance, a trouble-making student named Max, Max’s sister Lucy, and a whole group of unique and interesting people who will impact Jude’s life in some way or another.

After a series of unfortunate events, the lives of these characters are flipped as the threat of the Vietnam war hits them hard on a personal level, and the country is in a state of mass panic where riots and radical peace protests become commonplace, and Jude gets caught up in a world very different from his life back home. Yes, the journey that the cast embarks on is gripping, but it’s not the journey that keeps the viewer watching, rather it’s the way the journey unfolds.

First and foremost, the film seems to be a journey of self discovery, while we watch characters reacting to the events happening in the world in their own way. All the while, their thoughts and emotions are conveyed to the viewer, very cleverly, through the lyrics of The Beatles. The songs are selected appropriately and never seem forced or tacked on. Any time you hear a song, it sets the scene and tone beautifully and allows the audience to connect with the film on a level which only music can accomplish.

Often times the songs are accompanied by very well choreographed dance pieces which comply contextually with the setting; the middle of New York city sees a crowd of businessmen performing a routine with their briefcases, and one particularly disturbing scene shows us the aggressiveness of the United States government drafting soldiers into service, involving marching and very square chins. More often than less, the musical numbers are very moving, especially one particularly powerful rendition of Let It Be.

While the film’s main focus is the hardship of the era, a generous amount of time is dedicated to the minor characters, some of who are very obvious throwbacks to the icons of the 60s, such as Sadie (played by Dana Fuchs, channeling Janis Joplin) and Jojo (played by Martin Luther McCoy, and clearly based on Jimi Hendrix). These allusions really help to set the theme and remind viewers just how important music is to the film, and it’s great to see that even the minor characters are given their moments in the spotlight.

The performances from the actors are topnotch, and thankfully they are all extremely talented singers. Jim Sturgess as Jude is convincing in his role. His voice is strong and unique enough to carry the lead well, and often reflective of his character’s emotions. Evan Rachel Wood, playing Lucy, has a pleasantly surprising voice, doing great justice to the songs her character’s required to sing. Joe Anderson as Maxwell is impressive to say the least, performing one of the film’s most character-centric songs and pulling it off so faithfully that you find yourself wishing they’d performed it at its full length.

Aside from the leads, several of the songs are performed by very memorable singers or actors in cameo appearances including Joe Cocker singing Come Together, Bono performing I Am the Walrus (as Dr. Robert), Eddie Izzard as Mr. Kite singing Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite and Salma Hayek appearing as Bang Bang Shoot Shoot Nurse during a rendition of Happiness is a Warm Gun. Speaking of the songs, it’s really interesting to hear them in new and often extended arrangements. The film makers deliberately attempted to create music which would pay tribute to The Beatles, but sound different enough for the purpose of carrying the drama of a musical, and in most cases the songs are just as good, if not better, than the originals.

The film is presented stylistically and focuses on a blend of live action, animation, puppetry and visual effects to create a look which visually represents the music of The Beatles, as well as helping the viewer to identify with the movie’s themes. Scenes in Liverpool are dark and the colours are faded and cold, whereas scenes in America are vibrant and predominantly feature warm colours. Then of course there are the psychedelic scenes which are an explosive exercise in tie-dye visuals and colour inversion.

Some of the scenes and shots themselves are references to songs that aren’t even performed in the film, one very good example is a shot of Lucy with a backdrop of a blue sky behind her, dotted with white clouds, a very visual representation of ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’. It’s subtle, but when you spot something like that you can tell that the director is an obvious enthusiast for the source material, and it only makes you appreciate that film that little bit more.

Unfortunately, it’s references like those which can be detrimental to the film. Casual Beatles listeners will have a hard time keeping up with everything going on; there are some instances of dialogue which seems a bit silly, except to those who know that Beatles song titles and lyrics are being quoted directly. And only the most die-hard Beatles fans will be able to spot all the references, not just to The Beatles but to the music industry in general. That said, the references are very clever and most fans will have a little chuckle to themselves upon recognising them. My only other issue is that the film had every opportunity to make use of the song ‘Yesterday’, and never took it. Perhaps Julie Taymor was trying to steer clear of a cliche, but I think it really could’ve been beneficial.

Overall the film is a brilliant, visually stimulating masterpiece which quite easily slots itself in my list of greatest films of all time, even being just a casual fan, and it’s a real shame the film isn’t as popular as it should be. The Beatles songs lend themselves very well to the events depicted and help to create one of the most moving and poignant films ever made. Perhaps most importantly, the film reinforced a value which is all too easily forgotten in today’s world: All you need is love.