Finding the right mix of music and film to create something greater than either individual pieces has always fascinated me.
If I had to pinpoint it, the first time I recognized this was the convoy scene in Smokey and the Bandit set to “East Bound and Down”, but clearly that song was meant to go with that film.
Taking two entirely different pieces from different artists from different times and creating a whole new experience—well that’s even more exciting, isn’t it?
It must’ve been over a decade ago when my friend Scott first showed me this video. At the time, I hadn’t seen Once Upon a Time in the West nor was I familiar with Arcade Fire, but this blend of two completely different works just seemed to come together like magic.
Last week I finally sat down to watch Once Upon a Time in the West. Not only did I find it mesmerizing and intriguing (and shame-inducing that I’d never seen it until now), but understanding the characters and plot made me go find this gem and watch it again.
Long story short: kudos to JT Helms or whoever first conjured this.
If you haven’t seen this before or seen the film or heard the song, do all three.