The long-awaited return of Arcade Fire with Lightning I, II, arrives with a video from Emily Kai Bock, that like the song is a work of two distinct parts. A classic band performance, and then a riveting, terrifying narrative.The band performance is filmed on a tiny outdoor stage in main street of a one-horse town on a sunny afternoon, like a rehearsal for a show at a county fair; the second part is preceded by signs of the weather changing, as the arc of balloons blows from its moorings.Then comes the full threat of a catastrophic weather event; frontman Win Butler struggling against high winds towards his home, where we see the source of impending doom. This is a wonderfully cinematic exposition of a new reality of climate change.In this case, disaster is apparently averted. But somehow the sight of the collapse of the coming tornado - brilliantly created by a VFX team headed by Josh Deu - is more resonant and effective in expressing its destructive power. It resembles the collapse of a skyscraper.
Promonews - 21st Mar 2022