Fire Escape by Fanfarlo
This video is all sorts of beautiful, and probably - for all I go on about story telling - this is by far the best example I can give. Ok so I know it’s not got enough to do with the band and yes, a great clip of thrashing guitars and 5 dudes rocking out has it’s warranted place. But here is a perfect display of how a music video can be more then just 3 minutes of flash. That it can actually be a story, have meaning and make you think. And this on is not done by Jared Leto.
Most obviously the black and white gives everything a more “serious” tone. B&W or Sepia colouring always makes everything more serious. But in contrast to this, the actual footage and cinematogrphy is quite amateur. It’s not glossy as you’d expect a black and white video to be and the handheld camera gives a great sense of (the first thing we’re all taught in film school) verisimilitude to add to the realism of the storyline.
I adore the use of text cards between the footage, just like in old timey films that only had a piano score but I would have loved to have seen it go further - with the decorative boarders and such - rather than just such plain text on black. But, this arguably also adds to the simplicity of the main characters story - plain, as if he could be anyone.
I honestly found this to be one of the most beautifully told, heartwarming stories that I have seen in a long time. The use of colour at the conclusion. The simple questions asked about mortality. And the main character carrying on the cause to give back to others in the same way he was taken care of… and then I found the alternate ending.
I’m not really sure why there is an alternate ending. Perhaps to show that life doesn’t always work out ok and not everything can be taken with a pinch of optimism. And the cynic in me really does enjoy the alternate ending, if not just to have another clip to watch. But it did ruin the smile I got from the first version just a little.
