axh5675's blog

For my artistic response to war assignment, I chose to use the film Across the Universe. More specifically, I’d like to focus on the “Strawberry Fields Forever” scene, as it seems to have the most meaning to me. Linked below is the YouTube clip of the scene from the movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n79B3FHi0Fs&feature=related

For those of you who have not seen the film, I’ll give you a brief synopsis. Basically, Across the Universe is a musical set in the 1960s, during the time of the Vietnam War. The film follows the romance between Lucy and Jude, and their struggles living through a time of anti-war movements and social protests. The entire movie is set to songs from the Beatles, forming a story out of the music that really defined that time period.

The film can definitely be considered a response to war, as it portrays what the Vietnam War was like from the viewpoint of those who had loved ones sent away and were left to deal with it back home. The Vietnam War was very controversial and protested by many, and the movie really conveys a sense of that time period. When Lucy and Jude’s best friend is drafted into the war, they are forced to deal with the fear of losing him. Because of this, they become even more involved with the peace movements and anti-war protests. This was a very similar case for thousands of Americans who suffered while they watched their friends and family members risk their lives. Specifically with the “Strawberry Fields Forever” scene, Jude is shown expressing his emotions towards the war through the use of his artwork. In the scene, I feel like the dripping strawberries are meant to represent the bloodshed and the lives that were lost in the war. It is a very powerful scene that is telling of the anger and sadness that many Americans felt in response to the war. Overall, the film really conveys an anti-war theme and expresses the negative side to the Vietnam War.