ARTICLES,
REVIEWS,
ESSAYS,
&
PRESENTATIONS on TEACHING
ENGLISH
ARTICLES,
REVIEWS,
ESSAYS,
&
PRESENTATIONS on TEACHING
ENGLISH
Films with Class-Across The Universe
By David Ferguson
ACROSS THE UNIVERSE (2007)
Directed by Julie Taymor
Written by Dick Clement and Ian LaFenais
Across the Universe provides numerous
opportunities for short (one or two classes) or long term (multiple classes or
even a semester-long) curriculum. The film is a musical-drama driven by
30-40 Beatles’ songs. Not the typical film musical where the presentation
format is “scene-song-scene”, the treat of Across the Universe is that
the lyrics and music a move the story forward.
Set in the 1960’s, we are introduced to Jude (yes, many of
the characters’ names are directly from Beatles’ songs), a Liverpool dock
worker. He journeys to the U.S. to find his birth father, who doesn’t even
know Jude exists. Once in New York, Jude stumbles into Max, a college-boy
rebel from a wealthy background. This leads to an introduction to Max’s
sister, Lucy, who becomes Jude’s love interest and guide through the crazy days
of the 1960’s, a brave new world that includes the Vietnam War, civil rights
protests, class and race segregation, disenchantment with government, drug use,
new music, a lively literary scene, and hard questioning of social mores.
Across the Universe is directed by Julie Taymor,
who also directed Frida (bio-pic of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo) and
stars Jim Sturgess as Jude and Evan Rachel Wood as Lucy. Supporting roles
are held by Joe Anderson as Max; Dana Fuchs as Sadie, a Janis Joplin style
singer; Martin Luther McCoy as JoJo, a Jimi Hendrix tribute; and Bono (from U2)
as a Ken Kesey-type guru. It is also interesting to note that the cast did
most of the singing live and on-the-set, yielding spectacles such Evan Rachel
Wood and Dana Fuchs accompanying Joe Cocker and Bono in song.
Some teaching possibilities include:
An introduction to the
Beatles’ music
With an incredibly vast catalog of music that spans less than a decade, one can
gain an appreciation for individual songs, while receiving a crash course in the
evolution of music during the 1960s. The distance from “I Wanna Hold Your
Hand” to “Revolution” speaks volumes about social and cultural transformation
during this turbulent era.
Assignment:
Are the first pop songs as innocent as they first appear once we
understand the undercurrents of The White Album and Let it Be?
The Beatles
influence on today’s music and musicians.
At the very least, the Beatles and their music can be looked at in terms of the
influence on today’s music and musicians.
Assignment:
What role did the Beatles play, if any, in contemporary pop, rock, country and
hip-hop? How does their popularity compare to the popularity of
singers or musical groups today?
Analysis from a literary structure perspective
The film is a rare example of lyrics blending with dialogue to create a story.
When a character is singing, the words are either directed at another character
or the lyrics capture the thoughts of the character so that the storyline moves
forward. An example is when Lucy is singing “If I Fell”. She is
really having an internal discussion with herself about being with Jude.
Assignment:
Have students develop narratives based on a series of popular songs.
Symmetry with today’s world headlines
Though the film is set at the time of the Vietnam War, much of the plot
resonates with the current time—
an unpopular president leading an unpopular war and a
general populace who doesn’t seem to much notice, though a protest cracks the
surface upon occasion.
Assignment: A
project could center on how some protests become flashpoints while others are
quickly forgotten. What are some forms of protest? When is protest
most effective? Least effective?
The era of lost innocence
The 1960’s is often referred to as the era when the U.S. lost
its innocence.
Assignment:
Have students create a timeline of important events (assassinations, musical
events, business and science related achievements, civil rights advancements,
etc) from the 1960s. As a group, have students recreate an event and offer
viable “what if” scenarios.
The military draft
The draft, which plays a prominent role in the film (and may be reinstituted in
the next decade) could be treated as a topic unto its own.
Assignment:
The draft – history, use and misuse, how to serve, how to avoid serving,
consequences. How do other countries handle military service?
Rebellion vs. Conformity
A central tenet of the film is youthful rebellion vs. societal conformity.
Assignment:
Which is the more valiant fight – being true to one’s dreams or fitting into
society? Is it possible to have both? Have students research
examples of individuals who have stayed true to their dreams and benefitted
society and individuals who have followed their dreams to the detriment of
society. Have the students examine their dreams and how they correlate to
societal norms.
Cults
The film has a sequence where the main characters end up taking a bus tour with
the leader of a cult.
Assignment: What
are some traits of cults? What are some positive and negative aspects of cults?
What are some examples of historical or contemporary cults?
Across the Universe lends itself to study and
analysis. The film is rated PG-13 and contains scenes involving drug use,
sexuality, violence and brief nudity. A teacher should seek parental
permission or carefully choose specific scenes.
By David Ferguson
fergusontx@gmail.com
Click here to read Ferguson's suggestions for teaching the film Amazing Grace (2005), or here for suggestions for teaching the film The Queen (2006) .
Click to read Ferguson's best films of 2006, 2005, and 2004.