My Favourite Music Video: This week it's Calvin Harris and MSTKRFT director Vincent Haycock

Date
24 March 2014
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From Calvin Harris, to MSTRKRFT, or from Spiritualized to Jamie Woon, even from bloody Cheryl Cole and Will.I.Am – Vincent Haycock has made videos for a lot of the most important artists making music today. His work is fun, edgy and has a little bit of a dream-like quality to it, which is interesting considering his choice of favourite music video. Get the Kleenex out, re-watching this video and reading Vincent’s words is a surefire emotional blub-fest.

Vincent Haycock: Johnny Cash – Hurt. Directed by Mark Romanek

Hurt is a rare video, It’s not complicated or inventive but by far one of the most impactful and emotional four minutes in music video history. It’s a special moment when a music video captures something beyond a performance or concept – letting us into the artist’s life, and a vulnerable one at that. It’s the final portrait of Johnny Cash’s life, even if it wasn’t the intention, it is – both June and Johnny died within a year after this was shot, and Mark’s beautiful insight captures a strange last supper of sorts. Johnny reflecting on his life, matched with the lyrics creates a poetic and heartbreaking film. When I watched it the first time I thought “fuck, this is it,” the last farewell of one of the most important songwriters – and the video’s intimacy made me feel a personal connection to Johnny Cash. Like he said to us, “thank you, goodnight.”

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Johnny Cash: Hurt. Directed by Mark Romanek

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Johnny Cash: Hurt. Directed by Mark Romanek

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Johnny Cash: Hurt. Directed by Mark Romanek

Above

Johnny Cash: Hurt. Directed by Mark Romanek

Above

Johnny Cash: Hurt. Directed by Mark Romanek

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About the Author

Liv Siddall

Liv joined It’s Nice That as an intern in 2011 and worked across online, print and events, and was latterly Features Editor before leaving in May 2015.

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