Resignation is certainly one of Gondry's more notable commercials, and is another award-winner. A critique on work culture, Resignation follows a frustrated worker in a murky, hyper-speed Hong Kong. Gondry and company show the workaholic city as oppressive, lifeless, and nauseating as the camera lurches through its streets and hallways.
Gondry's former assistant François Néméta filled us in on the commercial's production:
"shot in hong kong and tokyo, with two bolex 16mm cameras, morphed from one to another. (like for the rolling stones [and Smirnoff ad] effect). the first "flying movement" above hong kong is a long 3D sequence mapped from real photos, morphed from one to another that michel shot on a regular 35mm camera.
"I don't remember exactly how long it took for post production, but it was done at Buf in Paris, and was... long. you'll probably see some archive pics of the shoot on Michel's anthology DVD when it will come out."
The first 20- of the 60-second commercial is like a seasick version of Koyaanisqatsi. The commercial is so far Gondry's best realization of the idea of freedom from "work," a theme also explored in Snowbound and À l'Envers à l'Endroit. His creative team uses almost every faculty in film to convey this idea: color, soundtrack, camera, editing, location, and story. The final shot shows the man free, refreshed, learning to "live for the moment."
See it on Gondry's Director's Label DVD.
