Coldplay have been known for their innovation and unique perspectives when it comes to music videos, whether it’s the emotive story told in reverse in Fix You, the stop-animation puppet show of Life in Technicolor or the colourful Holi celebration in the slums of India for Hymn for the Weekend.
But Coldplay’s new offering is quite unique in its brilliance. The music video for their single Up&Up is a take on perspective that is both delightful and thought-provoking. A mixture of old lifestyle footage, topography, cityscapes, and nature create a world where everything blends together. The sky becomes the sea. A teacup becomes a synchronised swimming pool and a turtle swims through the subway.
These different worlds have been fused seamlessly – with clouds surrounding the drum kit crash cymbal just as they would have enveloped a mountain peak. Vania Heymann – an Israeli director – has become extremely popular online. You may recognise his work: the new comedic Sodastream advert with Thor, the Grammy Awards advertisement and the genius music video where you can flip TV channels and all the characters are singing Bob Dylan’s song “Like a Rolling Stone”. All of these examples hearken to the fact that Heymann is good at combining different realities to create something artistic and remarkably visceral. But working with co-director Gal Muggia, Heymann trumps all his previous work.
The social messages, mixed with comical moments, truly create a piece that achieves what all art should strive for: to affect how someone views the world. Check the video out!
Just in case you missed a few gems, I thought I would list a few poignant scenes within this absolutely genius film collage:
The fun stuff
Some awesome quirky moments include a volcano popping popcorn, a speed boat with horses running next to it (a literal representation on “horse power”) and a soccer match being played on a washing up sponge near the sink. Another favourite is the baby lounging on the wing of a small aeroplane. Humour is a signature of Vania’s that breaks up the more poignant messages and balances the intensity of life with aspects of wonder and quirkiness.
Man’s impact on the environment
Whether it be the lonely turtle swimming in the train station, the white seals playing over the New York skyline or the dolphins overshadowed by South American favelas, there is a definite environmental theme that runs throughout. One of my favourite moments is the giant butterfly resting on an oil rig during a sunset. It is extremely beautiful and seems to carry some sort of ease, but it is a clear message about what carbon emissions are doing to our atmosphere. In many ways, it is a message about how we are the butterfly – hanging gracefully off of the very thing that could destroy us.
Comment on society: both then and now
Starting out, one of my favourite scenes is the superimposition of the Israel West Bank barrier blocking beach goers from the sea. It is a powerful statement – especially since the film makers originate from Israel. In many ways, they are saying that separating land with a wall is like taking the sea away from the beach. It just doesn’t make sense.
Another interesting superimposition is footage of the Civil Rights March on DC, where Martin Luther King Jr. made his “I have a dream” speech. Superimposed is footage of a black athlete doing high jump over the crowd. You could draw parallels of overcoming and victory, while also recognising the significance of the more open inclusion of African-Americans in sport in the late 1960s. All of this makes for an amazing few seconds of footage.
The final scene worth mentioning is the overloaded refugee vessel in a bath tub. This image is a very current reality, with many escaping Syria trying to find a better life in Europe. Unfortunately, there has been a considerable amount of resistance from many European nations, which has resulted in some very interesting debates on society and social responsibility. The bathtub – a symbol of cleanliness and luxury – juxtaposes this harsh reality and highlights the plight of a group of people, literally placing this problem in the bathtubs of those who would have us do nothing.
Whether you saw all of that, or simply enjoyed the footage, I hope you can appreciate how art can do more than just entertain, but influence as well!