Lisztomania: Michel Gondry Music Videos

5. Foo Fighters - Everlong

Gondry captured perfectly the surrealism of a dream—from outlandish morphing effects to an oversized phone and appendages. It’s so surreal, in fact, that drummer Taylor Hawkins looks disgustingly not bad as a damsel in distress. “Everlong” may also have been the very minute when Foo Fighters stopped being the “ex-Nirvana drummer’s band” to a name of their own. They have Gondry to thank for that.

4. The White Stripes – Fell In Love With A Girl

Start-stop animation is a Gondry specialty, and this video may be his best offering. Gondry launched Jack and Meg into superstardom by channeling in everyone’s nostalgia for playing legos. The Stripes became recognizable faces after this, even when they were too pixilated to recognize in this video.

3. Björk – Bachelorette

One day, Björk finds a big book buried on the ground. Then, the book starts to write all by itself about Björk finding a big book buried on the ground. Then she tries to publish it (as the book documents her process of trying to publish the book). The book becomes a best-seller and eventually is turned into a play. The play shows Björk finding a big book buried on the ground. Then, the book in the play starts to write all by itself about Björk finding a big book buried on the ground. Then she tries to publish it (as the book in the play documents her process of trying to publish the book). Then the book becomes a best-seller and eventually is turned into a play in the play. The play in the play shows Björk finding a big book buried on the ground…

2. Kylie Minogue – Come Into My World

From my understanding, no green screens were used in this video. All it took was a computerized motion controlled camera layering Kylie’s motion—as well as the world she invites us in—on top of each other after each succession. It’s not even that we get four Kylie’s in our screen that made this video a treat; it’s Gondry’s visual tricks. Notice the second Kylie dropping something, and the first Kylie picks it up. Or, two Kylie’s ducking under another Kylie’s arm.

1. The Chemical Brothers – Star Guitar

Often, as we listen to music while traveling, we space out to a point where the line that separates what we’re seeing and what we’re listening to is blurred. Everyday barns, light posts, and people that whiz by become musical instruments that are impeccably synchronized with the beat in our headphones. We all had this idea in our head; Gondry just turned it into a new music video innovation.