Bizarre, evangelical-styled imagery mixed in and amongst contemporary shots of Arcade Fire’s various performances from the 2007 Neon Bible tour, makes up the collected memories that is 'Miroir Noir'.
Before you watch this musical homage to the Canadian indie gods, be aware and don’t be fooled. This is not your regular concert DVD. There’s no genital flashing, no pyrotechnics, and no cheesy rock and roll antics. This is a film; a documentary that intersperses the masterful, grungy direction of Vincent Morisset with the quirky eccentricity that is, Arcade Fire.
The film centres on the idea of a ‘Neon Bible.’ Arcade Fire released a hotline - 1-866-NEON-BIBLE, which ended up receiving a host of crazy-strange messages. In and amongst knowledgeable Arcade Fire fans, some callers hilariously presumed 'Neon Bible' to be something spiritually enlightening, and something entirely different and far more sombre than what it was originally meant to represent.
Director, Vincent Morisset and filmmaker, Vincent Moon successfully managed to mix genuine concert and behind-the-scenes footage with arbitrary shots. While it might be a tad too arty for some, if you know Arcade Fire, you’ll understand the reasoning and the need to make something beyond the realm of a generic music DVD. If anything, Arcade Fire is not commercial.
Expect the band to drift off into the crowd while they play (as they so often do), and expect manic performances. Expect busking, epic endings and performances in peculiar places, like the tiny lift that was forced to accommodate the seven-piece band and their instruments. But most of all, expect musical art - because that’s exactly what you’ll be getting.