The first time I watched this music video was in 2003 and it’s probably the most unforgettable music video I have ever watched. The song itself is a cover of “Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails performed by Johnny Cash on what would be his final record before his death.
One lesson I took from this music video is how powerful the imagery of fruits, flowers and food decayed on the table were, it is something that the director (Mark Romanek) used in a powerful way. The song has a very reflective and moving tone but when matched up with the imagery from Cash’s youth and the dusty broken down ‘House of Cash’, which had been closed for 30 years, really flows great with the lyrics.
Another lesson would be the use of older footage when the storyline allows it. Sometimes people avoid using old film and video because there is a drop in quality compared to the footage used today. With the music and the video matched together, this song created an unforgettable combination. I like to think it helps me today with brainstorming and creating visuals of stories that will impact my viewers and my clients’ viewers.
Johnny Cash and his wife (June Carter Cash) both passed away within serval months of shooting this music video, but we should be very thankful for this production and the Cash’s will to create this masterpiece for us while failing in health.
