The Rube Goldberg contraption in this OK Go video for “This Too Shall Pass” is one of the best visual metaphors I’ve seen for the way a well-put-together movie works. If something misfires or doesn’t go right, the cumulative payoff is diminished. Anywhere along the line, the whole thing could come crashing to a halt or just veer off course and peter out. It has nothing to do with narrative; it’s about construction, creating momentum (and anticipation and suspense) and the interactions between many details that ultimately make the thing whiz and whir and tick. I’m not yet crazy about the song itself, but I have a feeling it’s going to grow on me…

(tip: MattRosenDP, @GregMitch)

There’s also a four-part film showing how they did it, starting here:

Jim Emerson

Jim Emerson is the founding editor of RogerEbert.com and has written lots of things in lots of places over lots of years. Mostly involving movies.

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