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Etienne Daho, from what I can gather, is a rather long-lasting French pop singer; his first album was released in 1981. Les Voyage Immobiles is from his 1992 album Daholympia. The meaning of the French lyrics is lost on this English speaker, so a full recovery of the video's meaning isn't possible here. Subtleties in Daho's croon however give the song away as one of lost love, which the video reflects. The strongest emotion elicited from Gondry's imagery is confusion. Light swirls around Daho in his close-up; water splashes with great tumult amidst the characters' flailing bodies. Gondry swirls Daho and the viewer around the room using a rig. The floor and ceiling become masses of water. This discord envelops the characters and their relationships. The video actually contains two rooms, connected by a mirror. Daho climbs through the mirror, and his image replaces his presence. Perhaps this indicates a change in his relationship. Later, his lover steps off the bed onto the floor, whose solidity is so fragile that she falls through it - it was made of water. Gondry uses some in-camera techniques to capture these effects, while post production was needed for others. Gondry's fascination with fractals influences his work. The kaleidoscopic in-camera effect seen also in Fire on Babylon is used here to multiply the woman's beautiful features. Yet the beauty of she and Daho are in chiaroscuric contrast to the deep black shadows that halve their forms. Such is the mixture of love and pain in Les Voyages Immobiles. The video is available on the French, PAL-format DVD Integrale Clips, and here on etiennedaho.com. |
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