84 replies to this topic

[divaslive98]

I may be alone on this but TTWII is beyond any doubt the greatest video of Celine's career. It's the only video that breaks from the narrative / dramatic mold (of which IACBTM is an exemplar) in a way that is fresh, interesting, and even somehow post-modern. When Celine turns the camera back on the spectators at the end, it's like one of the greatest moments in all of pop culture. That video is a f*****g masterpiece that perfectly embodies the spirit of 1999 better than any other text of any kind did.

[divaslive98]

divaslive98, on 02 June 2014 - 08:43 PM, said:

I may be alone on this but TTWII is beyond any doubt the greatest video of Celine's career. It's the only video that breaks from the narrative / dramatic mold (of which IACBTM is an exemplar) in a way that is fresh, interesting, and even somehow post-modern. When Celine turns the camera back on the spectators at the end, it's like one of the greatest moments in all of pop culture. That video is a f*****g masterpiece that perfectly embodies the spirit of 1999 better than any other text of any kind did.

It's like, at once a self-referential comment on the "end" of Celine's career, and at the same time a broader cultural commentary on the end of television media and the rise of the internet. When Celine turns the camera around, she is signifying this shift, and in so doing she becomes part of the crowd, while also maintaining her illusion of control over the medium. She isn't "turning the camera back around" in a negative or confrontational way -- for example, Whitney's use of the camera in her "Whatchulookinat" video, putting the viewer in her position as a recipient of constant spectral invasion -- she is instead symbolically breaking down the fourth wall of the video - spectator matrix in such a way as to comment on the interwoven nature of her own subjectivity as it relates to her fans. She is "becoming the crowd," in other words, and it is this moment of collective jouissance that defines the video's significance for me. She becomes aware of the spectators and "closes the loop," while at the same time enclosing these spectators within another loop containing Celine and the true spectator, who is necessarily alone, dislocated from the crowd.

[divaslive98]

divaslive98, on 02 June 2014 - 08:49 PM, said:

It's like, at once a self-referential comment on the "end" of Celine's career, and at the same time a broader cultural commentary on the end of television media and the rise of the internet. When Celine turns the camera around, she is signifying this shift, and in so doing she becomes part of the crowd, while also maintaining her illusion of control over the medium. She isn't "turning the camera back around" in a negative or confrontational way -- for example, Whitney's use of the camera in her "Whatchulookinat" video, putting the viewer in her position as a recipient of constant spectral invasion -- she is instead symbolically breaking down the fourth wall of the video - spectator matrix in such a way as to comment on the interwoven nature of her own subjectivity as it relates to her fans. She is "becoming the crowd," in other words, and it is this moment of collective jouissance that defines the video's significance for me. She becomes aware of the spectators and "closes the loop," while at the same time enclosing these spectators within another loop containing Celine and the true spectator, who is necessarily alone, dislocated from the crowd.

Also, it's kind of like that chair is her computer chair and the camera is filming from the perspective of a webcam. This aesthetic is heightened by the hi-tech nature of the apartment itself, which presents itself as a connected space only possible in the new millenium. In this way the video can be read as a prefigurative comment on the rise of Youtube.

[CelinesDIVO5]

I actually think TTWII was her first video to not really center around her and went around other people showing love and blah blah blah...then came ANDHC, and OH. All similar concepts.

Edited by CelinesDIVO5, 03 June 2014 - 01:20 AM.

[comingback]

TTWII is not my favorite video, but is great.

Edited by comingback, 03 June 2014 - 01:57 AM.

[Davey84]

Thanks for that making off! So cool to see! It's just so sad to think there are making off from everything she has ever done... but a lot of it will never see the light of day

[DionFanAlways]

comingback, on 03 June 2014 - 01:56 AM, said:

TTWII is not my favorite video, but is great.

Funny but this always makes me think of Weird Al!

[Prima_Donna1]

DionFanAlways, on 03 June 2014 - 04:06 AM, said:

Funny but this always makes me think of Weird Al!

The interview part with the flowers in back? Yea it makes me think of weird al too.

Thanks for sharing this video, I had never seen it before. Its soo cool to watch.

[divaslive98]

CelinesDIVO5, on 03 June 2014 - 01:20 AM, said:

I actually think TTWII was her first video to not really center around her and went around other people showing love and blah blah blah...then came ANDHC, and OH. All similar concepts.

Yeah, but it's the only one of that type of video that was successful as a concept. ANDHC was sort of like a continuation of TTWII but from a really saccharine perspective of Celine as an angel goddess sending love down to the world from her magical cloud. It also included some weird 9/11 references which I've always found off-putting, especially considering that her cloud is floating directly above ground zero.

[CelinesDIVO5]

divaslive98, on 03 June 2014 - 12:37 PM, said:

Yeah, but it's the only one of that type of video that was successful as a concept. ANDHC was sort of like a continuation of TTWII but from a really saccharine perspective of Celine as an angel goddess sending love down to the world from her magical cloud. It also included some weird 9/11 references which I've always found off-putting, especially considering that her cloud is floating directly above ground zero.

I never found it off putting...in fact, I thought it was nice that with the line "where it was dark, now there's light" they showed The Statue of Liberty. The US was in such unity and so patriotic around that time and we were coming out of such a horrific event. I don't find that appalling at all. And who said she was floating over Ground Zero?? There is no recognizable city underneath her lol.

[divaslive98]

CelinesDIVO5, on 03 June 2014 - 12:50 PM, said:

I never found it off putting...in fact, I thought it was nice that with the line "where it was dark, now there's light" they showed The Statue of Liberty. The US was in such unity and so patriotic around that time and we were coming out of such a horrific event. I don't find that appalling at all. And who said she was floating over Ground Zero?? There is no recognizable city underneath her lol.

Look closely ... you can see Central Park. Another 9/11 reference is in the train scene when the kid points to the CGI skyscraper on the horizon as it catches the setting sun's rays. That video was definitely a way to turn ANDHC into a patriotic anthem, and to me it was kind of a cheap / unimaginative move.

[CelinesDIVO5]

divaslive98, on 03 June 2014 - 11:27 PM, said:

Look closely ... you can see Central Park. Another 9/11 reference is in the train scene when the kid points to the CGI skyscraper on the horizon as it catches the setting sun's rays. That video was definitely a way to turn ANDHC into a patriotic anthem, and to me it was kind of a cheap / unimaginative move.

I think you're looking way to deep into it lol

[divaslive98]

CelinesDIVO5, on 03 June 2014 - 11:34 PM, said:

I think you're looking way to deep into it lol

I think you're not looking closely enough, nothing is as simple as it appears on first glance.

[DionFanAlways]

Lol! Yeah, 'cause when I watch the video for ANDHC, it makes me want to go wave the flag!   I see red, white and blue all over the place...

[CelinesDIVO5]

divaslive98, on 04 June 2014 - 12:05 PM, said:

I think you're not looking closely enough, nothing is as simple as it appears on first glance.

I've seen the video a million times...there's also a part where it looks like she's over a desert...does that mean she's floating over Afghanistan? No...and just because you see a rectangle, doesn't mean it's Central Park.

Edited by CelinesDIVO5, 04 June 2014 - 01:10 PM.

[divaslive98]

CelinesDIVO5, on 04 June 2014 - 01:08 PM, said:

I've seen the video a million times...there's also a part where it looks like she's over a desert...does that mean she's floating over Afghanistan? No...and just because you see a rectangle, doesn't mean it's Central Park.

So here's what's interesting about the video. At the beginning, it could be any city, and it looks more European than American. But as soon as the Statue of Liberty appears, the city changes. Check out 1:51 and 2:01; it may not be the real Central Park, but the way the shot is framed suggests that it might be. We get the impression that she is hovering somewhere above Lower Manhattan.

[divaslive98]

divaslive98, on 04 June 2014 - 02:16 PM, said:

So here's what's interesting about the video. At the beginning, it could be any city, and it looks more European than American. But as soon as the Statue of Liberty appears, the city changes. Check out 1:51 and 2:01; it may not be the real Central Park, but the way the shot is framed suggests that it might be. We get the impression that she is hovering somewhere above Lower Manhattan.

This section of the video also includes the shot of the Subway train riding through Brooklyn as the kid points to the crazy CGI tower right before they pass by the Empire State Building. The overall message of the video is that Celine is everywhere at the same time, since she's the global superstar who sings in the language of love, but at the same time, she spends a certain amount of time floating over New York, which must have been intentional.

[divaslive98]

divaslive98, on 04 June 2014 - 02:19 PM, said:

This section of the video also includes the shot of the Subway train riding through Brooklyn as the kid points to the crazy CGI tower right before they pass by the Empire State Building. The overall message of the video is that Celine is everywhere at the same time, since she's the global superstar who sings in the language of love, but at the same time, she spends a certain amount of time floating over New York, which must have been intentional.

That tower, of course, is the rebuilt WTC / "Freedom Tower," suggesting that the song is intended to touch on the theme of "America rebuilding" that was so widespread in American popular culture following 9/11. Celine's riff on that theme is a bit more interesting than others, though, since it is veiled and implicit, almost subliminal in nature.

[CelinesDIVO5]

But the Empire State Building is not even near Ground Zero...I see what you're saying...I just think you're reading too much into it. The shot of the Statue of Liberty and the line "where it was dark, now there's light" was just a subtle nod to NYC.

[Matias]

It was...ANDHC was launched only a few months after 9/11 and of course the "where it was dark..." line was a nod to NYC, and she is flying over NYC, but besised taht I see no conextion to the WTC or 9/11 besides that...Celine is not very "political" so I don't think she was messing around with 9/11...

[DionFanAlways]

Yall are funny...  I hear ANDHC as an anthem to RC of sorts. It was about RC! "I was waiting for so long, For a miracle to come" "Where it was dark now there's is light, Where there was pain, now there's joy, Where there was weakness, I found my strength, All in the eyes of a boy" I may be taking this to literal but I definitely don't hear/think political anthem! Who knows, we should ask Aldo Nova and Stephan Moccio!

[Prima_Donna1]

DionFanAlways, on 04 June 2014 - 05:20 PM, said:

Yall are funny...  I hear ANDHC as an anthem to RC of sorts. It was about RC! "I was waiting for so long, For a miracle to come" "Where it was dark now there's is light, Where there was pain, now there's joy, Where there was weakness, I found my strength, All in the eyes of a boy" I may be taking this to literal but I definitely don't hear/think political anthem! Who knows, we should ask Aldo Nova and Stephan Moccio!

Yea I took it as a theme for RC too all these years and still do. I dont hear anything in the song that would suggest some other theme.

[québecflower]

DionFanAlways, on 04 June 2014 - 05:20 PM, said:

Yall are funny...  I hear ANDHC as an anthem to RC of sorts. It was about RC! "I was waiting for so long, For a miracle to come" "Where it was dark now there's is light, Where there was pain, now there's joy, Where there was weakness, I found my strength, All in the eyes of a boy" I may be taking this to literal but I definitely don't hear/think political anthem! Who knows, we should ask Aldo Nova and Stephan Moccio!

yes but some people in her team were illuminati ......

[chocolatechip15]

divaslive98, on 04 June 2014 - 02:19 PM, said:

This section of the video also includes the shot of the Subway train riding through Brooklyn as the kid points to the crazy CGI tower right before they pass by the Empire State Building. The overall message of the video is that Celine is everywhere at the same time, since she's the global superstar who sings in the language of love, but at the same time, she spends a certain amount of time floating over New York, which must have been intentional.

DionFanAlways, on 04 June 2014 - 05:20 PM, said:

Yall are funny...  I hear ANDHC as an anthem to RC of sorts. It was about RC! "I was waiting for so long, For a miracle to come" "Where it was dark now there's is light, Where there was pain, now there's joy, Where there was weakness, I found my strength, All in the eyes of a boy" I may be taking this to literal but I definitely don't hear/think political anthem! Who knows, we should ask Aldo Nova and Stephan Moccio!

Celine herself has said many times that, for her and Rene, ANDHC was about RC, but for others, it could be about anything new in their life.

At the same time, this song was released only 6 months after 9/11,and I think that certainly played into her feelings about the song and the album. (I seem to recall a quote where she didn't even want her own picture on the album cover at one point, as she felt it wasn't appropriate). To me, the video clearly has shots of several different cities and cultures, trying to be inclusive -- but there do seem to be pieces that are specifically New York .. . the part where the people on the subway come out into the light. .. I think that's a reference to NYC after 9/11 -- but I don't think it's cheap and unimaginative at all - I think it's beautiful and touching.

Edited by chocolatechip15, 04 June 2014 - 08:05 PM.

[DionFanAlways]

québecflower, on 04 June 2014 - 06:42 PM, said:

yes but some people in her team were illuminati ......

Hush now, I see a light....

[CelineDionFreak]

DionFanAlways, on 04 June 2014 - 08:15 PM, said:

Hush now, I see a light....

...In the sky, all in the eyes of a boy. Sorry just had to continue that LOL!

[CelinesDIVO5]

Prima_Donna1, on 04 June 2014 - 06:30 PM, said:

Yea I took it as a theme for RC too all these years and still do. I dont hear anything in the song that would suggest some other theme.

Not the song itself, the video. But, for Celine it's definitely about RC. No question about that. But for anyone else it can have several different meanings. And the video touches upon a few different things the lyrics could pertain to. But I don't think any of the scenarios mean more than the other.

[Yentl Anchel]

We (Laura Cèline and I)came to the conclusion;


Best~ (in random order)
It's  All Coming Back To Me Now
Y'a Pas Des Mots ( The one shoot in Florida while pregnant with Eddy and Nelson) - Because it's funny
Immortality (the UK release version)
Think Twice
Pour Que Tu M'aimes Encore
Water From The Moon
Nothing Broken But My Heart
Love Can Move Mountains
The Power Of Love
Je Ne Vous Oublie Pas
Et S'il Ne Restait Qu'une
Unison- because they used the single Rap version for the video

Worst~ (in random order)
Tell Him
Je Sais Pas/Call The Man/Next Plane Out - do we really have to explain why? .... They just recycled the video over and over again, and doesn't really tells the story of the songs.
Ziggy
When I Fall In Love
I'm Your Angel
Then You Look At Me
Et Je T'aime Encore
Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi

[bronzey]

Best:

It's All Coming Back To Me Now
Thats The Way It Is
If Walls Could Talk
Nothing Broken But My Heart
Pour Que Tu Maimes Encore
Falling Into You
Immortality
The Power Of Love
Misled
Water From The Moon
Contre Nature

Worst:
Taking Chances
Live
One Heart
Tell Him
Immensite
All By Myself
*insert any studio/concert/live version made to be a music video here*

Edited by bronzey, 09 June 2014 - 05:22 AM.

[comingback]

Did you know that Celine's video for Fais ce que tu voudras from 1986 was shot at a train station in Germany.

Edited by comingback, 10 May 2016 - 03:13 PM.