T H E N A I V E F I L M M A K E R

I have always been a very big fan of Beck! That’s it, that’s the opening sentence.

I listened to “Loser all through secondary school and found a certain relatability in the lyrics, “Blue Moon” got me through every sadness I’ve suffered and I have wrote an entire short film inspired by “No Complaints”.

While “Loser” is arguably his most famous song, to me its probably his weakest. Having released many albums and singles since that continually improve on his previous works.

But great and sometimes existential music isn’t where Beck’s Art ends. The music videos (10 of which he directed himself) that accompany his work are some of the best being made today and have attracted some of the best directors including Edgar Wright (Colours).

But for me the all-time great Beck music video will always be “Up All Night”

Directed by Canada and starring Solene Rigot, the short epic follows a teenager in what is no doubt a familiar experience to many, trying to rescue her drunk boyfriend who has passed out at a party. Opening with the same feel of any teen coming of age film with Pedro Attenborough passing out and his girlfriend kicking a basket-ball hoop out of what appears to be annoyance at the situation.

The music starts as she begins her mission, having acquired a shield and pushed past someone dressed as Snow White, visually rejecting the role of a princess who needs saving and instead taking on the persona of the gallant rescuer!

A puff of her inhaler transforms her generic outfit to a knight’s armour (a nod to the title of the song) and she begins her quest. Storming her way through the layers of hell that are an out of control party, eventually finding her boyfriend at the lowest level (I believe treachery so he probably lied about going to the party). She rescues him and they leave together, with lessons having been learned.

There is so much to unpack in the music video. It is full of visual motifs, the magnetic armour, her metal insides, the many levels she appears to be working her way through from what appears to be a lust fuelled orgy to the football team. There is something new to notice with every watch, for example only today I realised that on a number of occasions she rescues other party goers from themselves by kicking cocaine out of someone’s hand or pushing a girl away from a keg stand, all while remaining true to the mission at hand.

Its an amazing music video that I tell everyone I know to watch and a project I hope to pay homage to one day.

Now go ahead and watch the bloody thing!