Analysis of Across the Universe - Essay Example

Analysis of "Across the Universe" Carroll's view that cinema is not a prosthetic device but rather like painting, what you see is not the object, but the representation of objects fits well with this movie. Even though some of the actual objects prove true to their character, many are invented and symbolic. The viewers are not meant to see the physical world as it is in reality, but through the eyes and hearts of desperate teenagers in a battle against the war and life itself. Also, the use of technical devices can further establish cinema as art as Wartenberg (2006) explains, "a close-up, for example, presents in visual form a correlate to the mental act of paying attention to something".

Of course, this movie, like most others, employs such techniques. Rancire's idea that it is simply foolish to judge a film outside of its context, the politics and such of the period it was created in, proves to be true here. In the movie, tensions are high due to the war and violent protests of it. However, it was released recently and in this period of time although we are in a war, tensions are not held very high because of it. Yet the writer might have wanted us to see just how destructive war can be, his own protest to the current war and his plea to end it.

All of the three regimes of visibility are expressed in this movie. When looking at the movie from in the ethical regime, one can easily agree that the viewers are not allowed to view the real essence of things, and that they are deceived and lied to. Unnatural colors flood scenes where natural ones should be, used to imply the use of drugs instead of showing the actual use of these drugs. Scenes of intense feelings during the war surely excite the viewers' lower faculties, causing them to feel the wrongness of the war, even if they had previously reasoned it to be alright.

Of course this movie has serious people doing serious things, a large plot with a beginning, middle, and end. The characters fit their levels of hierarchy, as is needed for films from the representative regime. The aesthetic regime can be seen in creative scenes that just seem to be there to add to the feeling of the film, with out adding much or any information, and sometimes lacking in any dialog, such as the scenes of swimming, or the scenes of the carnival. They most likely are not even real, just there to imply drug trips.

It is irrelevant to argue whether or not "Across the Universe" is art because it is an representation of reality, as Arnheim's perspective of cinema fits well with this movie, because it is not an actual representation of reality at all. Big blue men dance at the carnival, imaginary joints produce real smoke, and giant creatures flail about. However, in adding elements such as those, one could argue that the character of certain objects are not strengthened but destroyed in a very informal manner.

This is only done to further enhance our perceptions of certain aspects of the movie, such as raw feelings that have no actual, physical equivalent. While watching "Across the Universe", it is easy to have more faith in Bergson's ideas of movements in cinema. Throughout the movie there seems to be this phenomenon of moving continuity, everything constantly flowing and changing, yet remaining the same. This perception of movement fits this particular movie more than the more concrete, or grounded view of Deleuze.

The sensory-motor schema is frequently thrown out throughout the course of this movie. Indeed, as quoted in the notes, the characters do seem to go off on a trip, to wander about. Time becomes very difficult to measure in such scenes. Reality as well, sometimes merges and once again divides with imagination and symbolism in the film. The producers of this movie certainly used many established practices in the creation of "Across the Universe". However, they frequently diverged from the norm, shattering the constraints most movies are produced with.

In the making of this film, original ideas were shown and exhibited in new ways. Surely, "Across the Universe" will be used in the future for examples of innovative usage of time, movement, and other essential aspects of film. References Across the Universe. Dir. Julie Taymor. Perf. Jim Sturgess, Evan Rachel Wood. DVD. Columbia Pictures, 2007. Wartenberg, Thomas, "Philosophy of Film", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2006 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), .