"This film is brilliant, creative, unique, cool, far out, right on, and a trip."
"What you do defines who you are," or is it "Who you are defines what you do"? These questions are part of this unique movie that combines 33 songs by the Beatles in a story pitting young love against the turbulence of the 1960s. "The idea," says writer/director Julie Taymor "was to create an original musical using only the songs of the Beatles."
When Jude (Jim Sturgess) a dock worker from Liverpool comes to America to look for his biological father, he meets Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) and her brother Max (Joe Anderson) and along with several friends they make their way through the turmoil of the era. Remember, this is a musical so the songs are a major part of this movie. But they are not simply thrown in for music sake. They help tell the story and move it along. For instance, when Jude is saying goodbye to his girlfriend in England before sailing to America, he sings "All My Loving." You know, "Close your eyes and I'll kiss you, tomorrow I'll miss you." The music is added in a clever way and really improves the storyline. On the other hand, you could say the storyline really enhances the music.
The trio and their friends begin by trying to understand what is happening in the world. The 60s was unique in itself, encompassing the civil rights movement, the war in Vietnam, the women's movement, free love, flower children, hippies, anti-war protesters, and experimental drugs that spun out of control. The film begins with the characters then spins into some psychedelic scenes as the turmoil of the time increases.
When Max gets drafted he ponders what to do. Should he try to alter his medical tests? Should he go to jail? Why did he quit college anyway? Should he go to Canada? He doesn't want to go to Canada because it's too cold, and if he went to Montreal he would have to learn to speak French. "Learn French or die" are his choices. So, he goes into the army, but not before telling his sister that "Maybe LBJ will have a change of heart and call the whole thing off." Later, when Max returns he is a shattered man. "Everything below the neck works fine," he comments. The war took a toll on his psyche.
In the meantime, Jude, an artist, is hired to design the logo for their friend Sadie's (Dana Fuchs) new record label. The filmmakers make this a very clever scene. First Jude is sketching apples. Think back. The Beatles' record label was Apple. But he doesn't feel quite right about the apple so he takes a strawberry, a "red, juicy, sexy strawberry." Hence - Strawberry Fields Forever.
While all this is going on, Lucy changes from a prim, proper, wealthy young woman who could do anything with her life to a radical war-protesting woman with one thing on her mind. She wants to stop the war. Her first boyfriend was killed in the war and now her brother is affected by it. But Jude doesn't have the same intensity against the war. Her involvement in the anti-war movement comes between them.
Hey Jude, don't make it bad. Take a sad song, and make it better. In my life I've found Help when people Come Together. Even in a Revolution, We Can Work it Out. Okay, okay. So this is my way of being clever although I might not be as clever as the filmmakers who created this movie. It's brilliant, creative, unique, cool, far out, right on, and a trip. My only criticism is it is a bit too long at 2 hours 11 minutes. There are a few scenes that could easily be deleted. Cut it down 20 minutes and it would get a higher rating.
For people who love the Beatles, this is a delight. For people who lived through the time, this will be a reminder of the past. And for people who only read about this decade, it will show an artsy and interesting vision of the time. It is the music combined with a story, or a story combined with the music. And at the heart of it is the love between Jude and Lucy. After all, All You Need is Love.
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