I scoffed upon hearing the news that Kanye West was directing his own short film. For as much as I love Kanye and his music, I truly didn’t see a future for him as a director, let alone a director on one short film. As his film Runaway debuted early last week across the Atlantic, early word began to spread that it was actually somewhat good, if not a fine piece of work. Reporters cited the influences of Stanley Kubrick and Paul Thomas Anderson emanating from Kanye, while Kanye’s images and surrealistic approach were compared to the like of Federico Fellini. That last line is undoubtedly over the top considering the place the aforementioned directors have in the realm of film. Despite the misplaced hype and my skeptical nature about the project, Kanye West impressed me with his ability to generate an assortment of images that emotionally paralleled the new tracks from his upcoming album “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy”.
The film begins with a nameless man (West), who’s speeding down a forest entrenched road. Things catch fire when a Phoenix (Selita Ebanks) suddenly crashes into his car. From there, man and myth develop a relationship based on sexual attraction and curiosity. The man shows the Phoenix the way his world operates. He shows her the beauty that reverberates in our own back yards and the blessings we can create. The latter is demonstrated through a scene where fireworks illuminate the sky as Kanye’s song “All of Lights” ecstatically plays. Yet, for as beautiful as the world and human beings can be, the Phoenix is shown that deep within humans lies an intolerance that strips people of any kind of understanding. Through a striking dinner scene, one which takes place in an airplane hangar that’s been warped by time, the Phoenix’s existence and her relationship with the man, is brought into question. In this moment, both man and creature are alienated for being socially askew. From this comes the moment where the Phoenix, who can’t co-exist in the established environment, must leave unceremoniously. Much like Kanye and his boisterous attitude that drums up controversy, the Phoenix is cast to the edge of society. She’s different, and must be addressed as something insatiable. If there was ever a metaphor for Kanye’s career, it’s the plight of the Phoenix.
The film runs quickly at a brisk 35 minutes, but the question is: is it any good? I really can’t say it isn’t. The music itself has a dark and pulsating sound that just shook me to my core. When matched with the images concocted by Kanye West and cinematographer Kyle Kibber, the songs are often elevated to a high state of visual beauty. No moment represents this distinction more than an eight minute dinner scene where Kanye sings the song “Runaway” in front of a troupe of Prague ballet dancers. The song itself holds enough emotional resonance, but when coupled with dancers who contort their body with such grace, the scene becomes a work of art breathing before our very eyes. Yet, for as great as the “Runaway” scene is, there are a few moments in the film where songs are seemingly welded to images that don‘t match their point of view. These particular surreal bits seem like they’re tossed in simply to make the film seem otherworldly. The problem is that these displaced images stifle the film’s flow. Worst of all, they cheapen the symbolism that can be found in the alluring visuals that do work.
Accompanying visual outliers is the film’s lack of worthwhile writing and acting. Now mind you, there are merely a few lines of dialogue in the film, but the dialogue is horribly corny and forced. The dialogue certainly serves a purpose, but how it’s written is pain inducing. It also doesn’t help that West and Ebanks can’t really deliver their lines with any conviction. Sometimes an actor can deliver even the corniest lines with some justice, but the task is too large for West and Ebanks to handle. Despite all of this, Runaway has images that pop off the screen, thought provoking symbolism, and a soundtrack that is a feast for the ears. Kanye won’t be confused for a Kubrick or a Fellini any time soon, despite his obvious fascination with their styles. But, Kanye’s ambition to make a film that ultimately encompasses his musical endeavors shouldn’t go unnoticed. Even with its flaws, Runaway will likely move you in some fashion whether it be in a visual or auditory manner.
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