Kanye drops in on Sydney topremiere new film

Tue 12th Oct, 2010 in Local News

It’s impossible not to get caught up in Kanye West’s passion about his work – especially when he’s sitting in the row behind you at the Australian premiere of his film Runaway and practically singing along in your ear as the credits roll.

The gathering of Sydney’s musical media, and Richard Wilkins, was treated to a first look at the 40 minute film hosted by a very humble, honest and human Kanye. Say what you will about the man, but he’s one fascinating and captivating performer.

After major public setbacks of his own making – including that remarkable live brain melting moment – Kanye is back in no uncertain terms. After stepping away from the music world, to briefly live in Japan and work as an intern with Fendi in Rome, he’s back and very mush revitalized. There’s nothing holding him back at the moment, but instead of directing his loose cannon approach to the world at innocent bystanders he’s bunkered and directed all his remarkable energies into his art – musical and visual.

The Good Friday tracks were the first glimpse of the new focus, but Runaway is perhaps his boldest statement of his artistic ambitions yet. Kanye stressed that he’s not a trained film maker but he wanted to direct the film as his vision rather than employing a filmmaker to make an altered version of Kanye’s ideas.

From the Kanye-as-James-Bond driving through a foggy forest soundtracked by a brilliant new RZA beat to the closing images of feather clad Victoria’s Secret model Selita Ebanks ascending to the heavens as the Bon Iver sampling Lost in the World plays the film does an amazing job of making the release of his new album seem like a major event. Quite simply, there’s no one else producing music that straddles so many boundaries at the moment; to put Bon Iver, Jay-Z and Nicki Minaj on one track and actually go beyond stunt casting is a remarkable feat. (During the Q&A Kanye aligned himself with Trent Reznor and Thom Yorke as boundary pushing creators, but noted that he’s the only one still trying to engage with and influence the mainstream.)

There’s a loose storyline about artistic freedom, faith and ambition but it’s not a film to be closely interpreted. As Kanye noted in a post screening Q&A session he likes to think like a 5 year-old child and just create images because they look interesting – without worrying about interpretations. The scene of the kid in a red hood running with a lit flare? It just looks good. The banquet hall featuring black guests dressed in white served by white waiters isn’t intended as a racial comment; it just looks interesting.

It’s probably unsurprising that the man who has invited a cast as varied as Beyoncé, Common, Justin Vernon, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, Mos Def, Pusha T, M.I.A., Seal, Swizz Beatz, Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em, Alicia Keys, Santigold and La Roux to guest on his new album that the film feels like the work of a cultural magpie. It’s littered with cultural references to Michael Jackson, Peter Greenaway, Bambi, Fellini, Tarantino and David Lynch among many others. Kanye also spoke about the influence of The Wizard of Oz, There Will Be Blood and late fashion designer Alexander McQueen as influences on the film.

The film is likely to loose some of its impact when viewed on your computer as part of the My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy CD package, mostly because those beats just won’t hit as hard as they do in a cinema, but trust me this album is going to be a monster.