"You say you want a revolution... You better free your mind instead"

(Look closely at the picture. How does Jude (left) and Lucy (right) represent idealism and pragmatism?)


A perilous time is most frequently a time when people make the choice to dream or face reality. In an extreme sense, Idealists are created during these times because they are convinced that the only escape from peril is to act and dream in ways that will bring about extraordinary change. Pragmatists often focus on accepting that radical change will not affect the situation and that people must come to terms with that in order to realistically deal with their problems.

Last night, I watched a great movie called Across the Universe; this film is a love story that takes place during the 1960s, where the U.S. was experiencing a true time of peril. The U.S. was involved with the tragic Vietnam War during this time, as well as the long-lasting battle for civil rights. The war and the riots and protests within the country created a time of peril for American citizens. The two lovers of the story, Jude and Lucy, then experience separation as one dreams of change and the other focuses on the truth of the situation.

Before Lucy and Jude separate, there is a great scene that portrays the creation of an idealist and a pragmatist. Lucy yells at Jude explaining that their country is "...in the middle of a revolution." She tells him that she would "lie down in front of a tank" if that would bring her brother home from the war. Jude replies by saying, "well, it wouldn't." Jude makes the point that no matter what Lucy does, it won't help solve the country's problems. The next scene goes further into Jude's pragmatic style of thinking as he sings the Beatles' song "Revolution." I could talk about the meaning of how that song applies for hours though...

So, the two lovers are then split as Lucy leaves Jude to commit herself to a radical anti-war protest group, and Jude returns back to England. Lucy begins to rethink her choice of radical idealism, however, as she sees the war unaffected by the protests and sees people getting hurt. Lucy later discovers the leader of the anti-war protest group that she looked up to assembling a bomb. She understands that her dreams of ending the war this way are not realistic and are becoming dangerous.
Jude reads about how dangerous the rioting has become in America, and there is a sense that he believes now that some type of change is necessary. He returns back to America and in the last scene, we see the two lovers' idealism and pragmatism combine.

The lovers are then reunited in the last scene, as both abandon their idealistic and pragmatic philosophies. This scene represents how a country united is the most powerful way to deal with times of peril.


"Revolution"
The Beatles

You say you want a revolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
You tell me that it's evolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
But when you talk about destruction
Don't you know that you can count me out
Don't you know it's gonna be all right
all right, all right