After recently re-watching one of my all-time favorite and underrated movies, Across the Universe, there were a few scenes I haven't been able to stop thinking about because they're so interesting. Part of that comes from the movie's setting, one of history's most pivotal time periods, the 1960's, as well as its use of the catalogue of one of history's most influential bands, The Beatles. The film does a great job of using these two elements to seamlessly weave this unique hodge-podge of lovable, and interesting characters into its pretty trippy and sometimes confusing plot in a way that sucks you in as if you're experiencing everything the characters experience. You may even come to see that history really does repeat itself in these four scenes.
1. The Thanksgiving Dinner sequence
Max: Why isn't the issue here who I am?
Uncle Teddy: Because, Maxwell, what you do defines who you are.
Max: No, Uncle Teddy, who you are defines what you do, right Jude?
Jude: Surely it's not what you do, but it's the...the way that you do it.
This lively section of dialogue is probably pretty relatable for most college kids and not just because it’s a family dinner that turns sour. It’s a very quick exchange about figuring out who you are and what is at the root of that, something we’re all trying to figure out. But the struggle is more than real because of all this pressure to do great things and actually be someone, which we often go about in the most incorrect way, kind of like Max trying to be something he’s really not.
It’s almost one of those “tomato/ tomahto" things, but this super quick conversation really makes you think about what defines who you are and whether or not you're on your way to becoming that person. Personally, I’ve always sided with Max; the contents of your heart and soul coupled with the conscious decisions you make in your life, both daily and long-term, dictate the kind of person you are. It’s easier to be yourself and be true to yourself. In the end, that will make you happier than if you were to strategically do things to construct an identity for yourself. If you lead that kind of life, you probably won’t ever feel totally satisfied because you’re shoving your personal desires aside.
2. The entire “Let it Be” sequence
As this scene opens, one of the Beatles’ most classic songs is accompanied by an incredibly powerful image of a young black boy crouching behind the remnants of a burned car, singing as things explode all around him and cops chase other kids down. Up to this point in the movie, we’ve only seen the privileged side of 1960’s society that didn’t live in constant fear. Suddenly all that literally disappears, exposing the tumult that was the Civil Rights Movement. Towards the end of the scene, the same little boy is shown lifeless in a coffin, making us see that people of all ages were subject to these heinous acts of violence and hatred. The little boy’s tragic and unnecessary death is paralleled by the equally tragic death of Lucy’s boyfriend. We see the two officers make the announcement to his mother and Lucy’s sudden realization of what was happening.
It is very interesting how the writers paralleled these two events in the story line; not only does it show these two completely different sides of society, it shows that while there was a racial and societal divide in society, the grief and pain of loss brought our country together, giving people of the 1960’s a reason to fight back. At the same time, it eerily parallels current events.
3. JoJo’s most powerful line ever: “Music’s the only thing that makes sense anymore, man. Play it loud enough, it keeps the demons at bay.”
This entire quiet, rainy evening scene in the apartment is chock full of fun lines, but JoJo’s takes the entire freaking cake, crumbs included. Never have I ever heard something so relatable for me personally and probably many other people out there. The fact that JoJo is this semi-allegorical Jimi Hendrix figure just doubles the whammy this line delivers; Hendrix was perhaps the biggest, most influential, and innovative guitarist of the 1960’s. For him, music was a way to tame his demons. Thus, having this character deliver this line makes it so very à propos.
Then, when you think about everything going down in the 60’s, from Vietnam to the Civil Rights Movement to JFK’s assassination, to the riots, the shootings, to the complete 180 our society did, it was a lot; the world pretty much turned upside down. Music was the one of the main channels young people used to make their voices heard. Many of those songs are still relevant today as we once again find ourselves in this time of societal upheaval.
4. Jude’s return
From Max and the kids singing “Hey Jude,” to Sadie and JoJo’s band playing “All You Need is Love” during a very Beatles-esque rooftop concert, to Lucy and Jude’s final first look we get from over the rooftops, you just get chills and want to happy, ugly cry. After all, who doesn’t want a love that spans an entire ocean?
I know it’s the ending and it’s the happy, heart-warming solution we all want at the end but this one brings everything full circle. The lyrics of “All You Need is Love” are essential in making that happen because they basically say all you need in life, despite all your worries and your struggles, is love. You could even say that, in the long run, you shouldn't lose sight of what's most important to you or let the chaos around you make you oblivious to the wonderful things and people around you. For Lucy, Jude, Prudence, Sadie, JoJo, and Max, this is true; all each of them needs is love.