Rufus Wainwright covered the Beatles’ “Across the Universe” and released a music video for it in 2002. The short film stars a young Dakota Fanning, singer Rufus Wainwright as well as other actors and musicians. The project was directed by Len Wiseman.
The music video possesses a unique aesthetic quality. The cinematography uses color and expression to accent the poignant lyrics and strong vocal performance. The video tells a story through a child’s eyes. Dakota Fanning plays a girl carrying a balloon. Through her observation, viewers realize the wonderment of one’s perspective across the universe and its value in society.
The way the director uses color to draw the audience’s attention is amazing. The image at the beginning of the video is very striking. It depicts the girl wearing a red dress and red shoes, and her image is juxtaposed against the darker greys of the sidewalk and the buildings around the character. This places emphasis on her walk, the way she carries the balloon, her expression as the she looks around. This is the perfect setup for the audience as it gives them the opportunity to discover where in the environment the director chooses to guide their observation.
Another visual standout is the man on the street playing the acoustic guitar. The color of the instrument stands out in bold color, bringing the image and emphasis of music to the forefront of the cinematography.
When other adult figures appear in the film their composition is in contrast with the girl’s human expression. The other adults look serious, like they seem to take life for granted. The wonderment seems to have long left their eyes. These figures are floating in the sky as the girl observes them. The only other adult that has a human expression is the singer as he sits in a floating chair with a distinct posture, singing one of the world’s greatest songs.
During the first chorus when Wainwright is singing “nothings going to change my world,” the girl is observing the floating figures in the day’s sunlight. It really raises the questions, why isn’t anything going to change my world? And who has let me down? Based on observation, it is the adults whose lack of empathy for the future generations has presented a lost opportunity.
During the second verse some extremely powerful lyrics are sung: “images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes, they call me on and on across the universe.” Several artist’s canvases are depicted with images as the director scrolls the camera. This symbolizes the poetry and artistic quality of life’s images, and suggests that their subjective nature has a significant qualitative value to our perspectives.
When the girl climbs up the fire escape, she enters the room with the canvases. She looks outside the window and sees an empty floating chair. The singer, for the moment, has vanished. She most likely viewed him as a source of inspiration and his temporary absence does not bring sorrow. She seems to nod her head and moves on in her life, almost accepting herself as the change for the future rather than looking for someone else. However, as she turns around, she seems the singer’s image on one of the canvases. His status as an inspiration has been reinstated and transformed.
When the singer returns to the floating chair, the windows open in the room and the wind blows through the girl’s hair. She looks outside and is immediately captivated by the singer. Her expression is beautiful, complete with a smile and a wave. She then stands and turns away with the look of taking responsibility for her own destiny.
When she climbs down the fire escape and stands on the street again, she decides to release the balloon into the air. The balloon is multiplied and many of them start to fly near the floating adults as they are summoned back to the earth. The imagery symbolizes hope and change.
Rufus Wainwright delivers a strong, memorable performance. He masterfully sings a popular track in the classic rock catalog. The music video was widely-received and Wainwright should be appreciated for bringing such a wonderful song back to the forefront of our lives and imaginations.
This music video review has been written in 2023. As it stands today, “Across the Universe” is still one of the artist’s most popular works. There is a possibility that he could perform the song at his 50th birthday, one-night-only show, Fifty Isn’t The End. The show will benefit the Montauk Historical Society on July 13th at The Montauk Point Lighthouse (in New York). The event will be produced by Murmrr feauturing special guests: Jimmy Fallon, Tig Notaro, Laurie Anderson, Loudon Wainwright, Martha Wainwright, Lucy Wainwright Roche, Joan As Police Woman, Jenni Muldaur, Chaim Tannenbaum and others. For more information view the official press release.