Alright, so we don’t usually do this. Reporting on what commercials film directors are making in between projects is as beneficial as reporting on offers going out to movie stars. But hey, it’s the summer and news is slow. And, more importantly, this commercial for Levis Jeans, directed by John Hillcoat (The Proposition, The Road), is something to marvel at.
Experience it below (via The Playlist):
Hillcoat’s had a rough year, losing/not getting funding for The Promised Land, written by Nick Cave and potentially-starring Ryan Gosling and Shia LaBeouf and the revenge drama The Revenant, starring Christian Bale, hasn’t made much progress it would seem.
But this commercial would make Terrence Malick proud. Hell, it even uses a song from his most recent film The New World, and uses it well. In general, this whole Levis “Go Forth” series has become a sort of ambitious art project that works in nearly every way. It’s kind of incredible. Without a doubt, Hillcoat’s 2-minute commercial is it’s crown jewel. It’s small, powerful, well-shot and well-framed. The lighting works and the music works better. It feels American, and in the most natural way possible. I wanted to watch 88 minutes of this.
Hopefully one day we will.
What do you think of this commercial? Hillcoat?