This week, Yeezy showed us what happens when just one man has all that power –he releases a self-written, directed, and scored short film with a budget as big as his ego. But as much as I would love to rip him apart to make myself feel cooler, the “Runaway†video is a cinematic experience rivaled perhaps only by Inception.
The thirty-five minute epic envisions Kanye meeting a sexy-ass phoenix that inspires him to be something out of his comfort zone: vulnerable. Ostensibly a commentary about discrimination, inspiration and loss, the video is much more intimate than it seems. Just as is the case with the music, the operatic elements of the video belie how personal it really is.
Featuring several songs from the G.O.O.D. Friday releases, including an instrumental version of “Power,†The short film is sparse with dialogue and often includes shots of a pensive, solitary West. Maybe his ability to polarize the people that admire and deride him has finally had some alienating effect on him.
The video’s titular performance is just as cocky as it is self-effacing –no doubt he includes himself in the “toast to the douchebags.†More overtly bleak is the film’s ending in which the phoenix abandons West to the track “Lost In The World.†Take away the designer clothes and snide publicity and what you have left is a surprisingly introspective artist who might finally be at odds with his ego.
Watch the video and decide for yourself, but I’d like to think that when Kanye isn’t busy being “a tad kooky”, he is busy being an artist.
Image: Kanye West
Its a great piece of artistic expression
Great – I just switched to Directv from Dish because of “FOX” – NOW I just found out that Directv has DROPPED “G4” WTF – no Soup for me.
“Too old. Too easy” is the name of my Hole cover band.
Yo, yo, Matthew, I’m happy for you and Imma let you finish, but Chris Hardwick is the best Nerdist contributor of all time. Of all time.
Too old? Too easy?
You can’t knock his talent. I wasn’t into to the sexy Phoenix and he’s not the best actor but they made it work. He can offend everyone in the world. The music is consistently great and I will be buying the album.
Great, quick article. I completely agree, I saw this last week and it it phenomenal. The colors are what struck me first then you see how the music just takes it to a completely new level.
He’s Bob Dylan smart, and Michael Jackson crazy.
He’s got alot of talent, he’s one of the few rappers who makes his own music, raps about something other than money and hoes, he seems to be a talented film maker and his paintings are pretty good. So stop complaining about his actions people, there are a million untalented people the media could cover just as easily.