Daft Punk's Electroma

Last updated
Daft Punk's Electroma
Electroma.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Daft Punk
Written by
Produced byPaul Hahn
Starring
  • Peter Hurteau
  • Michael Reich
CinematographyThomas Bangalter
Edited byCédric Hervet
Music by
Production
company
Distributed by
Release dates
Running time
72 minutes
Countries
  • United States
  • France
LanguageEnglish

Daft Punk's Electroma (also known as Electroma) is a 2006 avant-garde science fiction film directed by the French electronic music duo Daft Punk. The story revolves around the quest of two robots (the band members, played by Peter Hurteau and Michael Reich) to become human.

Contents

The music featured in the film is not by Daft Punk, which was a first for the duo after their previous film and home video releases, D.A.F.T.: A Story About Dogs, Androids, Firemen and Tomatoes and Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem . The duo instead served as directors and co-wrote the film, along with Daft Arts manager Paul Hahn and collaborator Cédric Hervet.

The film premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, and was later released in France on March 24, 2007. While initially receiving mixed reviews, Electroma has gained a cult following. [1]

Daft Punk used scenes from the end of the film to announce their break-up on February 22, 2021. [2]

Plot

The two lead characters appear as the robotic forms of Daft Punk and are credited as "Hero Robot No. 1" and "Hero Robot No. 2". One wears a silver helmet and the other wears a golden one. An opening scene shows the duo driving in a 1987 Ferrari 412 with its license plate displaying "HUMAN". After passing through a Southwestern United States landscape, the duo arrives by car at a town in Inyo County, California. [3] The town's residents are also shown to be robots physically identical to the two main characters, but at different ages, with different clothing and alternating gender.

The pair drive to a high-tech facility where liquid latex is poured over their heads. The latex is shaped into human-like faces with the aid of prosthetic appliances and wigs. The resulting look caricaturizes the members of Daft Punk, Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. When the two leave the facility, the locals of the town are shocked by their human appearance. The townsfolk gradually begin to chase the duo, whose faces eventually melt in the sun. The two take cover in a public restroom where the gold robot discards his ruined mask, then encourages the reluctant silver robot to do the same. Again appearing as robots, the pair then undergo a lengthy hike across desert salt flats.

After walking for an extended period, the silver robot slows down and comes to a stop. Becoming aware of this, the gold robot walks back to the silver one. The silver robot continues to stare at the ground for a moment before removing his own jacket. He then turns away from the other robot, revealing a switch on his back. The gold robot flips the switch, which begins a timer. When the countdown ends, the silver robot is blown to pieces. The remaining robot piles the remains of the silver robot, then continues to walk. The gold robot eventually falls to his knees and attempts to reach the switch on his own back, but to no avail. Another moment passes before the robot removes his helmet and repeatedly slams it into the ground until the helmet shatters. Using one of the shards as a burning-glass, the robot focuses the sunlight to set his hand ablaze. The film ends as the robot, completely on fire, walks in slow motion through darkness.

Cast

Production

Daft Punk's previous directorial credits include the music videos for their songs "Fresh", "Robot Rock" and "Technologic". The duo initially shot footage for a music video of the song "Human After All", but expanded the content for a feature-length film instead. [5] According to Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, Daft Punk's Electroma had been an unplanned extension of filming videos for the Human After All album.

We were not nervous making a full-length movie was like a dream. We never planned for it to happen, but after we directed the videos for our last album we decided to keep on working. We were in the shooting dynamic, so the movie came naturally. We didn't think too much. Whether it's making music or directing a video, whatever we do we do it quickly. When we have a good work dynamic we don't need to ask too many questions of each other. [6]

Thomas Bangalter stated, "With this film, we had the same approach as when we started making music. Create without any rules or standards. Take a free approach to something new that you don't really know, and that you learn from scratch." [7]

The film was shot on 35 mm Kodak stock under the cinematography of Bangalter. He purchased and read over 200 back-issues of American Cinematographer in preparation for the feature-length picture. [8] Filming of Daft Punk's Electroma spanned 11 days, [6] much of which was spent in California. [3] Many scenes of the film take place in Inyo County along U.S. Route 395 and in the town of Independence. The robotic and makeup effects were designed and created by frequent collaborators Tony Gardner and Alterian, Inc.

In April 2011, the Ferrari 412 used for the film was auctioned for charity, alongside the original 'HUMAN' license plate signed by Bangalter and Homem-Christo. [9]

Music

While D.A.F.T.: A Story About Dogs, Androids, Firemen and Tomatoes and Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem were produced to complement the albums Homework and Discovery , the soundtrack for Daft Punk's Electroma does not feature material by Daft Punk. [3] As stated by de Homem-Christo, "We come from a musical background, but this movie is quite minimal." [10] The following songs are featured in the film:

Release

The film was first shown on May 21, 2006, as part of the Cannes Film Festival sidebar Director's Fortnight. [3] Midnight screenings of Daft Punk's Electroma were shown in Paris theaters from the end of March 2007. [11] The film was also screened at Biennale de Montréal in Canada on May 11. [12] It was shown in the Australian Centre for the Moving Image on June 7, [10] at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) in London on June 8 [13] and at Kino Arsenal in Berlin on July 4, 2007. [14] The film went on a screening tour of the United Kingdom, beginning in July 2007 and ending in October at the BBC Electric Proms. [15] The ICA later announced a few late night weekend screenings for November 2007, but based on turnout and interest, extended the screenings to continue until January 2008. [13] In December 2007, the film was shown in Seattle, New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Austin as part of a tour of independent film screenings sponsored by the Scion line of Toyota cars. [16] Vice Records sponsored Canadian midnight showings on December 7 in Victoria, Banff, Calgary, Winnipeg, Fort McMurray and Toronto. [17] Further showings in Canada were screened during January 2008 in Toronto, Ottawa and Whitehorse. [17]

The DVD-Video of the film was first released in Australia on June 6, 2007. [18] It is distributed by Aztec International Entertainment. [18] According to the official Daft Punk's Electroma website, it is available in the UK as of November 19, 2007. [15] Vice Records released the North American DVD on July 22, 2008; reports of a Blu-ray Disc release by Vice were later labeled "a mistake" and retracted by the company. [19] The DVD is packaged with a 40-page book of film images in either a SteelBook or slip case. [20] The film became available for online viewing on the Lycos Cinema platform as a rental streamed at either standard or high definition. [21] It is also available for online rental or purchase at the iTunes Store, and for streaming on TIDAL.

On 22 February 2021, Daft Punk released a video titled "Epilogue" on their YouTube channel, featuring scenes from the film. Following a clip in which the pair bid each other farewell in the desert before one of them walks away and explodes, a new title card reads "1993–2021". [2] It was later confirmed that the YouTube video served to announce Daft Punk's breakup. [22]

Reception

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 60% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 5 reviews, with an average rating of 5.50 out of 10. [23] The film's showing at Director's Fortnight was received with mixed reactions. Daft Punk's Electroma was praised for its lensing technique and musical soundtrack at the premiere. At the same time, the film was unfavorably compared with Gus Van Sant's Gerry and Vincent Gallo's The Brown Bunny for its extensive hiking sequence. The scenes involving the main characters' desert trek reportedly caused a large portion of the audience to leave the theater at the Cannes Film Festival showing. [3] [24] [25] [26] In regards to the film's reception, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo expressed:

There's a feeling of despair for some, but that's not what we wanted. Because the whole movie is without dialogue, it's more a question than an answer. We wanted to make a question mark so people could project what they wanted onto Electroma – some people see it as sad, some as happy. Everyone is different. [27]

Giving his own take on the film's reception, Thomas Bangalter also stated, "We expected it to be less popular than Discovery , of course. The film is experimental and inaccessible; however, it's a movie that does not require your brain to function." [8]

Reaction to the film's midnight screenings in Paris was reported to be positive as of the end of March 2007. [28] The screenings in the region were so highly received that the film's previously brief run was extended to six months. [10] Most screenings in the United Kingdom sold out quickly.[ citation needed ] In response to the film's midnight placement, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo expressed, "We are really happy it has become a midnight movie rather than just another movie that will be taken off the screen after one week. Usually, and I think it is the same worldwide, you get all the big blockbusters and if the movie doesn't do good, after one week it is taken off the screen." [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daft Punk</span> French electronic music duo

Daft Punk were a French electronic music duo formed in 1993 in Paris by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. They achieved early popularity in the late 1990s as part of the French house movement, combining elements of house music with funk, disco, techno, rock and synth-pop. The duo garnered further acclaim and commercial success and are now regarded as one of the most influential acts in dance music history.

<i>Homework</i> (Daft Punk album) 1997 studio album by Daft Punk

Homework is the debut studio album by the French electronic music duo Daft Punk, released on 20 January 1997 by Virgin Records and Soma Quality Recordings. It was later released in the United States on 25 March 1997. As the duo's first project on a major label, they produced the album's tracks without plans to release them, but after initially considering releasing them as separate singles, they considered the material good enough for an album.

<i>Discovery</i> (Daft Punk album) 2001 studio album by Daft Punk

Discovery is the second studio album by the French electronic music duo Daft Punk, released on 12 March 2001 by Virgin Records. It marked a shift from the Chicago house of their first album, Homework (1997), to a house style more heavily inspired by disco, post-disco, garage house, and R&B. Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk described Discovery as an exploration of song structures, musical forms and childhood nostalgia, compared to the "raw" electronic music of Homework.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Technologic</span> 2005 song by Daft Punk

"Technologic" is a song by French duo Daft Punk from their third studio album, Human After All (2005). It was released as the second single on 14 June 2005. The music video for "Technologic" was directed by Daft Punk.

<i>Human After All</i> 2005 studio album by Daft Punk

Human After All is the third studio album by French electronic music duo Daft Punk, first released on 14 March 2005 through Virgin Records. Unlike their previous studio album Discovery (2001), whose sound was inspired by disco and garage house and produced over the period of two years, Human After All was more minimalistic and improvisational with a mixture of heavier guitars and electronics, and was produced in six weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Bangalter</span> French musician (born 1975)

Thomas Bangalter is a French musician, record producer, singer, songwriter, DJ and composer. He is best known as one half of the former French house music duo Daft Punk, alongside Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. He has recorded and released music as a member of the trio Stardust, the duo Together, as well as a solo artist. Bangalter's work has influenced a wide range of artists in various genres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger</span> 2001 song by Daft Punk

"Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" is a song by French duo Daft Punk, released in October 2001 as the fourth single from their second studio album Discovery. A live version of "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" was released as a single from the album Alive 2007 on 15 October 2007. This version won a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording in 2009. In October 2011, NME placed it at number 132 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo</span> French musician (born 1974)

Guillaume Emmanuel "Guy-Manuel" de Homem-Christo is a French musician, record producer, singer, songwriter, DJ and composer. He is known as one half of the former French house music duo Daft Punk, along with Thomas Bangalter. He has produced several works from his now defunct record label Crydamoure with label co-owner Éric Chedeville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robot Rock (song)</span> 2005 song by Daft Punk

"Robot Rock" is the lead single from Daft Punk's third studio album Human After All. The single was released initially on 11 April 2005 with a music video, directed by and featuring the duo, preceding the single's release. While the single reached a moderately high chart position, many critics found the song overly repetitive when compared to songs from their other studio albums at the time. It features a sample of "Release the Beast" performed by Breakwater.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aerodynamic (instrumental)</span> 2001 song by Daft Punk

"Aerodynamic" is an instrumental track by Daft Punk, featuring a prominent guitar solo. The track was released on 28 March 2001 as the second single from the Discovery album. "Aerodynamic" hit the U.S. dance charts through club play as the B-side to "Digital Love".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human After All (song)</span> 2005 song by Daft Punk

"Human After All" is a song by electronic music duo Daft Punk. It is the title track from their third studio album of the same name and the third single from the album, released on 21 October 2005. The single release includes remixes of the song which appeared in the album Human After All: Remixes. "Human After All" peaked at number 93 on the French Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burnin' (instrumental)</span> 1997 song by Daft Punk

"Burnin'" is an instrumental track from French electronic music duo Daft Punk's debut album, Homework (1997). It was the fourth single released from the album. The accompanying music video for the track was directed by French photographer and video director Seb Janiak. The song later had a remix entitled "Extravaganza", created by Korean band BanYa for the dance video game Pump It Up. Elements of "Burnin'" were combined with the song "Too Long" in Daft Punk's live album Alive 2007.

<i>Alive 2007</i> 2007 live album by Daft Punk

Alive 2007 is the second live album by the French electronic music duo Daft Punk, released on 19 November 2007 by Virgin Records. It features Daft Punk's performance at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy arena in Paris on 14 June 2007 during their Alive tour. The set features an assortment of Daft Punk's music, incorporated with synthesisers, mixers and live effects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Together (French duo)</span> 2000–2003 French house duo

Together was a French house duo consisting of DJ Falcon and one member of Daft Punk, Thomas Bangalter. The duo released two songs, one each in 2000 and 2002, on Bangalter's own record label, Roulé: "Together" and "So Much Love to Give".

<i>Tron: Legacy</i> (soundtrack) 2010 soundtrack album by Daft Punk

Tron: Legacy is the soundtrack album to the 2010 film of the same name, released by Walt Disney Records on December 3, 2010. It is the only film score by French music duo Daft Punk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derezzed</span> 2010 song by Daft Punk

"Derezzed" is an instrumental song written, produced and performed by Daft Punk for the soundtrack of the motion picture Tron: Legacy, available on the album of the same name. As a pre-order bonus for the album on the iTunes Store, "Derezzed" was released by Walt Disney Records as a single on December 8, 2010. It was remixed by The Glitch Mob and Avicii for the remix albums Tron: Legacy Reconfigured and Dconstructed. "Derezzed" was also included on a 4-track vinyl EP titled Translucence, released by Walt Disney Records.

<i>Random Access Memories</i> 2013 studio album by Daft Punk

Random Access Memories is the fourth and final studio album by the French electronic duo Daft Punk, released on 17 May 2013 through Columbia Records. It pays tribute to late 1970s and early 1980s American music, particularly from Los Angeles. This theme is reflected in the album's packaging, as well as its promotional campaign, which included billboards, television advertisements and a web series. Recording sessions took place from 2008 to 2012 at Henson, Conway and Capitol Studios in California, Electric Lady Studios in New York City, and Gang Recording Studio in Paris, France.

"Contact" is a song by French electronic music duo Daft Punk. It is the thirteenth and final track from the duo's fourth studio album Random Access Memories, released on 17 May 2013. The track was written and produced by the duo, with additional writing and co-production by DJ Falcon. Daryl Braithwaite, Tony Mitchell, and Garth Porter are also credited as writers due to the song containing a sample of "We Ride Tonight" by Australian rock band The Sherbs. The song includes audio from the Apollo 17 mission, courtesy of NASA and Captain Eugene Cernan. Due to digital downloads of Random Access Memories, the song charted at number 46 on the French Singles Chart and at number 24 on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Songs chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Give Life Back to Music</span> 2014 single by Daft Punk

"Give Life Back to Music" is a song written and recorded by French electronic music duo Daft Punk for their fourth studio album, Random Access Memories. It is the opening track on the album. The song features lyrics performed by Daft Punk using vocoders. "Give Life Back to Music" also features album collaborators Nile Rodgers on guitar and Chilly Gonzales on keyboards. The song includes guitar work by Paul Jackson, Jr. and additional keyboards by Chris Caswell, with drums by John "J.R." Robinson and bass by Nathan East. The song was distributed to radio stations on 31 January 2014 as the album's fifth overall single and the final single from the album in 2014. Before this, it charted in France, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

"Touch" is a song written and recorded by French electronic music duo Daft Punk and American singer-songwriter Paul Williams. "Touch" serves as the seventh track from the group's fourth studio album, Random Access Memories (2013). The song was featured in the American thriller TV series, Mr. Robot, and Daft Punk's farewell video, "Epilogue".

References

  1. "Daft Punk's Electroma – Filmmaker Magazine – Summer 2008". Filmmaker Magazine. Retrieved 2015-12-17.
  2. 1 2 Daft Punk (February 22, 2021). "Daft Punk - Epilogue". Daft Punk. Archived from the original on 2021-12-14. Retrieved February 22, 2021 via YouTube.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Daft Punk's Electroma review variety.com. Retrieved on February 26, 2007.
  4. Hershberger, Trisha [@thatgrltrish] (February 22, 2021). "One of my first gigs in LA was playing the robot bride in Daft Punk's Human After All music video - it was AWESOME" (Tweet). Retrieved October 2, 2023 via Twitter.
  5. Interview with Electroma actor Peter Hurteau Archived 2008-02-04 at the Wayback Machine . danideahl.com. Retrieved on January 14, 2008.
  6. 1 2 From the desert the robots come, pgs 1-2. theage.com. Retrieved on June 10, 2006.
  7. Suzanne Ely, "Return of the Cybermen" Mixmag (July 2006)
  8. 1 2 Punk fiction Guardian Unlimited . Retrieved on August 4, 2007.
  9. Jewett, Dale (April 4, 2011). "Techno group Daft Punk's Ferrari 412 being auctioned for Japan fundraiser". Autoweek . Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Midnight feast of sights and sound Archived 2012-12-30 at archive.today News.com. Retrieved on May 31, 2007.
  11. Daft Punk's official MySpace page. Retrieved on February 25, 2006.
  12. HitList Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine hour.ca. Retrieved on May 31, 2007.
  13. 1 2 Institute of Contemporary Arts - Film - Daft Punk's Electroma Archived 2007-06-07 at the Wayback Machine ica.org.uk. Retrieved on November 23, 2007.
  14. SPEX präsentiert: DAFT PUNK'S ELECTROMA Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine fdk-berlin.de. Retrieved on July 5, 2007.
  15. 1 2 Because Music presents Daft Punk's Electroma Archived 2007-06-16 at the Wayback Machine electroma.org. Retrieved on July 16, 2007.
  16. Route07: Scion Independent Film Series Archived 2007-10-05 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on December 7, 2007
  17. 1 2 Daft Punk's Electroma official MySpace page. Retrieved on December 7, 2007.
  18. 1 2 Aztec International Entertainment Archived 2007-08-08 at the Wayback Machine aztecinternational.com.au. Retrieved on June 10, 2007.
  19. Daft Punk's Electroma Out Now Archived 2016-08-07 at the Wayback Machine , Pocket Lint 30 May 2008
  20. Daft Punk Makes Blu-ray Home Media Magazine . Retrieved on March 25, 2008.
  21. "Lycos". Archived from the original on 2008-09-04. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
  22. Monroe, Jazz (February 22, 2021). "Daft Punk Call It Quits". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  23. "Electroma (2006)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango . Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  24. Eye Weekly - On Screen Archived 2006-06-13 at the Wayback Machine eye.net. Retrieved on February 27, 2007.
  25. Musique Vol. 1 website archived from May 25, 2006.
  26. Robot madness? It can only be Daft Punk guardian.co.uk. Retrieved on May 7, 2007.
  27. "From the desert the robots come". The Age. June 8, 2007.
  28. Daft Punk's Electroma news Archived September 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine thedaftclub.com. Retrieved on March 29, 2007.