It's a tale of two lovers, a dock worker in Liverpool who goes to the USA in search of his father and an American student caught up in the anti-war movement of Vietnam. Yes, that's right, the Beatles' songs play to the backdrop of Vietnam. Yet this context, although important to the plot in some aspects, is not as important to the feel of the film. It is a timeless story of love and loss, with the message, however predictable, "All You Need is Love".Our lovers, both for differing reasons, move to New York with the help of Lucy's brother Max (Joe Anderson) to change themselves and, in some sense, discover who they are. From here we see the infusion of music not just as a soundtrack but also as a feature point, with the inclusion of the Hendrix-like guitarist Jo-Jo (Martin Luther McCoy) and the Janis Joplin-esque Sadie (Dana Fuchs). Even an emotionally conflicted Prudence (T.V. Carpio) has a dabble on the keyboard. And these musical characters are developed to the fullest (with the exception of Prudence), they too have a detailed subplot all of their own. I've you've noticed that two characters, both Sadie and Prudence are taken straight from Beatles' songs, just wait till you hear our lovers' names: Jude and Lucy.
The plot then turns political, looking at the pursuits of Lucy in the anti-war movement whilst contrasting the artistic endeavors of Jude. Yet this does not burden the plot, it lifts it, gives it more body and delivers us a roaring rendition of 'Revolution'. Do not think these songs are just wasted. Some may seem feigned ('Dear Prudence') or very strange (Bono's 'I Am the Walrus' and Eddie Izzard's '...Mr. Kite'), but others are absolutely perfect. 'Something', the aforementioned 'Revolution' and the uplifting 'All You Need is Love' are absolutely sublime. In some respects, new meaning is given to these songs, with 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand' now a ballad for the lonely. Yet there is one undeniable realization form all of this - The Beatles wrote some of the greatest love songs ever. When Evan Rachael Wood (who is absolutely gorgeous in this film) and Jim Sturgess, as Lucy and Jude respectively, begin these ballads, the words are brought new life in their context and the Beatles' genius is only furthered.
The direction is great as well. I was a bit shaky during the opening, what with the strains of 'Helter Skelter' destroying a very emotional opening shot, yet Julie Taymor, who directed the theatre production of The Lion King, brings a vivid colour to the film, with amazing visual effects sequences accentuating both the music and the scenes in which they occur. The amazing army enlisting scene is choreographed to perfection, the strawberry sequence (you won't forget it) and even the dancing on the streets of New York all show the bravado of the film. In some aspects the film goes a little too far with the artistic vision, such as the Mr. Kite sequence and the interpretive dance.
The plot may have holes, or unnecessary elements. There may be not enough depth to the anti-war movement of the Vietnam era. There may be too much catering to the songs than the story. But I don't really care. It was an amazing experience, a unique experience in a film, to transform the songs of the greatest band in history into a coherent and emotionally engaging plot is a feat of its own. 4 1/2 stars.
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