As you can see from the video, it is fully of weird and wonderful costumes and sets. It looks like something out of a childs fairytale book, with the house and costumes worn by the people in it being very simple. Everything also seems to be made out of felt, and patched together. Even Bjork herself looks like a young child, or even a young woman, who is lost in these mysterious woods. At 0:57, she is sitting with a large spoon in a bowel, moving it around as if she wasn't really wanting the food, yet behind her a small moth as suddenly grown to the size of her window and is flapping agasint it. 1:40, she suddenly falls from a tree and shrink in size, smaller then a blade of grass, her 'adventure' begins, running from a hedgehog, even having to duck in the middle of the road as a car drives over. What is interesting about the car is that the bear is driving it, making me think that this is more of a weird dream then a story.
Since towards the end, the bear actualy beats up a hunter, and Bjork is on the moon calling out, making it seem like a radio tower. The video in itself is very odd, but it does seem like it could come from a dream.
This was one of Michel Gondry's early works, becoming more and more noticed because of this video, he went on to give Bjork seven more videos as well as working with people such as the White Stripes, Foo Fighters and even Radiohead. What draws people to his work, is most likely the positive reviews he gets from them, but also because they tend to work with the song best and fit in with the lyrics brilliantly. Though some of his works are not from the top of his head, Michel has used his past life expereinces in them, espacially in the Foo Fighters hit single Everlong. This was also done in a dream fashion, but had every member of the group in it. The lead singer and the drummer were the 'main characters' in the video, whislt the basist and guitarist were the 'bad guys'. The lead singer starts the transition of the dream, with water being squirted on the screan, which matches the action of him pissing into a toilet. His costume is some punk/gothic hard man, who has come to the wrong party and is given wierd looks by everyone for his clothes. Confrontation happens between the female role {Drummer) and the other 2, the lead singer comes in and break the fight. His right hand suddenly swells to enourmous preportions and he beats them down with it. The hand bit was actuall a reccuring nightmare that Michel Gondry had as a kid, and he would have his mother rub his hand to prove him that it was normal. He keeps the strangness going as they leave to a large telephone, ringing, thus deafaning them. Something that is normal to us, when the phone goes off during sleep, everyone hates it as it blasts in the ear and hurts. Michel Gondry took it to another level and over exaggerated it.
However Michel Gondry is not just known for his music videos, no his wings have spread even further into the realms of Advertising, TV and Film. With his advertising career, Michel has worked for numerous companies, such as Levi, AirFrance, and Smirnoff. He is usually known for working with Levi and Airfrance more then anyone else, as he makes very interesting videos. One as such seems to be advertising the jeans, as well as placing a twist on the 'pocket-watch' pocket we now find in jeans. However even though he has recorded it in the style of a 1940's/30's film, it is very modernised with the change of how we precieve sex in soceity.
The end is done to put a smile on people's faces at the revaltion. Also it gives the jeans a sort of naughty factor, capable of hiding secrets in their pockets. Also through the long drive to the girls house, you could say it doesn't show the character feeling uncomfortable or loosing the item he bought. Meaning no matter how long the trip you won't be let down by this brand.
Reactions to this advert are also mainly positive;
Bjork-ish....:D. Gondry=compulsive creative genious. Love his work....respect.
I hate commercials. But this is awesome. Occasionally, commercials can almost make you forget that their sole purpose is to get you to purchase some consumer good.
いまでいうダサカッコいいの走りとも捉えられる作品ですね。
It's cool!!
Even people who live in the far east, spain, america, all over if one clicks the see all psots to this video, they will see hundreds of positive comments in a mulitdute of languages. His work reaches out to everyone around the world with his far out ideas and concepts.
One of his most famous films, was called Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and is about a couple who erase their memoris of them even being together. The way the story is told is in a non-linear narration, meaning it is not told in the way it happened. So if somone was walking down the street, then a non linear way of explaning it would be startign from the middle of the walk or at the end and reversing it. This is how Michel Gondry chose to tell the people his story, about 2 lovers who have no recolection of each other, when they had been together for 2 years. The story also contains a bit of science-Fiction with a company containing the technology to erase memories from the human brain, which is where the main story is set, during the erasal of these memories.
The techniques Gondry used to show the removal of memories are a mixture of very dramatic ones to something a little more subtle. It ranged from certain things fading away like somone's name written on a card. The sound and picture quality becomes horrbile, like a poorely recorded shot or film strip starting to deteriorate. Other things like characters are continously swapped with themselves and a younger version, or people, cars even houses disappearing suddenly or collapsing. At one point the characters are made life size to the audience with a small world or the other way around, ususally done when they are trying to hide from things.
The film was nominated for 50 awards, and won 37 of them, including an Oscar for Best Writing/Original Screenplay. This film was recognised throughout major Film Festivals such as Deauville Film Festival and the Flanders International Film Festival. The film was made for 20 million dollars but grossed over 72 million, this is obviously showing that it was a big hitter around the world when it was released in 2004. Peoples reactions are things like;
-this movie was AWSOME
-man, i love this movie but it just makes you ache
-one of the greatest movie plots i've ever seen (aswell as one of the most confusing)
-This movie should be remembered as one of the best of this decade.
As you can see the reactions from the pubile are all about praise. Some say about they always cry at this film, it has also gotten people to think about what life is all about. Whether they follow these newly found thoughts is unknown however, it shows that people really connected with the film. Even if it was very confusing for some, they still enjoyed it immensly showing that Michel Gondry is also a fantastic Director.
Michel's target Audience will vary greatly, as it depends on the artist and the song he has to work with. For example Human Behaviour could have easily been accessable to children to the age of 8. Because of all the soft colours, mise en scene and the narrative in the video, the children might not be able to understand the song and its meaning, they still would enjoy the video. Moving onto the Foo Fighters Everlong video, it again could be watched by a young auidence, maybe a bit older at like 12, but still watchable. The target audience for this video would be aimed at people between the ages of 16-25, as it has the aspects of low budget teen horrors and action movies. In terms of his overall work, Michel Gondry could be classed as being able to reach the ages of 12 and up.
Responses from the audience for his videos are usualy positive, even if they don't know its him, most peopel are enjoying his work. On Amazon.com, where they are selling his version of the 'Work of a Director' series, several customer said things such as;
Michel Gondry is widely acclaimed as one of the best - if not THE best - music promo directors ever.
This is a great DVD. If you like your music videos creative then this is for you!
Both of these signify the majority of the reactions to his work, however not all of them start of like this. A couple talk about finding Gondry through other directors such as Chris Cunningham.
When I heard about this series I was INSTANTLY excited. Finally, the chance to get my hands on some Chris Cunningham on DVD. So that was promptly ordered on Amazon. Hoping to also have the Spike Jonze one delivered to me as a choice Chrimbo present. And then there is this one, at first I thought 'I've not heard of Michel Gondry' and it was promptly shoved to the back of the priority purchases list
I'd only really heard of Michel Gondry because of some of the Bjork videos and the Chemical Brother's Star Guitar
In terms of common knowledge of the general populace, Michel Gondry is not very well known. The videos he makes are, but when it comes down ot who made them, people don;t really try to gain an interest. However, the reaction to the videos is positive, peopel talking about how creative the band were in making it. Then when people find out about the Director behind it and start watching more of his work, he himself gets the praise. So in the music world, Michel Gondry is an icon, with his work getting praised everytime.
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