The Soundtrack to My Life

Free Your Mind

           Over the weekend, I went to see the film Across the Universe, which I’d been dying to see since it was released in September. Director Julie Taymor takes the audience on a visual journey through the sixties by using music by the Beatles.

            I have never seen a film like Across the Universe; every scene, every song lyric, even the background fit perfectly together. All of the character names reference a Beatles song and even situations in the film bring back a memory of the Beatles. There is not a word or visual image that is placed before you by accident.

            Taymor includes over thirty Beatles tunes in the film, and every one of them fit smoothly throughout. Normally, I would cringe at the thought of hearing other artists and in this case, mostly unknown performers (the actors sang live takes during filming) cover Beatles songs, but I can honestly say that the compositions fit extremely well with the images in the film.

Among the countless Beatles allusions in the film, there were also a few that reference the sixties. There is a character named Sadie who reminds me of Janis Joplin. Her boyfriend and guitarist, JoJo, remind me of Jimi Hendrix. Of course, Sadie comes from the Beatles song “Sexy Sadie”, and JoJo comes from the song “Get Back.”

U2’s front man Bono makes an appearance in the film, playing Dr. Robert (“Doctor Robert”), who seems to be channeling the late Ken Kesey with his Kool-Aid punch and wild bus ride, which also alludes to the Beatles Magical Mystery Tour.

This film proved to me that there is a Beatles song for every moment in your life. If you are a fan of the Beatles, this film should be watched again and again to understand all of the allusions. A lot of the songs normally pass me by, but this film made me look at the music in a different light. For example, I will never listen to “Strawberry Fields Forever” again without thinking of bleeding strawberries and war.  

In the beginning of the film, JoJo said, “Music is the only thing that makes sense anymore.” The Beatles music guided these characters through all the ups and downs in their lives, which is what the Beatles music does for me. When you think of all the pivotal moments in your life, what Beatles songs were playing in the background?