‘Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour’ Review: Cameron and Eilish Deliver a Memorable Ticket
Although muddied by some strange editing choices, Billie Eillish and James Cameron deliver a 3D experience akin to a shot of adrenaline with ‘Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D)’, after nearly two years of touring her third album.
In today’s current economic landscape, an experience as incredibly sought-after as live music is rapidly hurdling towards inaccessibility. Whether it’s price-gouging, so called “Ticketmaster wars”, or simply big tours skipping large markets, fans being able to see their favorite artists live continues to be challenging. Concert films have always served as a compromise in this regard, allowing fans to have a similar thrill with likeminded enthusiasts. The sub-genre is always evolving, just as live performances are, with bold new takes emerging ever so often in the space (Ghost’s narrative-driven ‘Rite Here Rite Now’ stands out as a recent example). Shot over her two-day stint at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena, ‘Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D)’ takes the concert film to a Spinal Tap 11.
The film follows ten-time Grammy award winner and multi-platinum recording artist Billie Eilish as she performs tracks from her latest album (‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’) alongside a plethora of her greatest hits. Her setlist (and the film) opens with ‘CHIHIRO’ in an explosive live sequence, offering just as much of a feast for the eyes as a feast for the ears. As a 3D experience, there is a ton that jumps out of the frame. Lens flares, fog, lights, confetti, and even Eilish herself, pop out of the frame, leaving every song with plenty of visual surprises. Her set also lends itself to stunning visuals, following a central-stage model that allows Cameron to capture both Eilish and the audience behind her, creating multiple planes of depth for any given shot. It’s no secret that James Cameron has mastered how to use new and innovative technology in the filmmaking space, and this is no exception. Whether it be ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’ or ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’, Cameron plays with depth like no other. To my surprise, his first-ever concert film (and co-directed effort with Eilish) may just be his three-dimentional magnum opus. I can very confidently say that Cameron and Eilish have curated some of the best live cinematography ever captured on a 3D camera. The bombastic presentation and bright color-schemes of many sequences left me feeling like Officer K in ‘Blade Runner: 2049’.
Other than the opening sequence, many songs stand out from their on-stage execution to their cinematic presentation, seamlessly flowing from one to another. Her sequence for darkpop hit ‘Therefore I Am’ is the first time the color red engulfs the arena, while simultaneously demonstrating the first usage of flames in the show. The song’s minor groove is complemented flawlessly by darker visuals and even more stunning 3D shots. A similar execution can be seen towards the twilight half of the film with ‘Oxytocin’, which also features 3D close-up shots of Eilish herself on top of similar darker visuals to balance out tone. The film’s dynamic musical sequences are interspersed with candid interviews between Cameron and Eilish herself, which are also filmed in 3D, giving viewers a look behind all the lights and confetti. Color was a topic of conversation between Cameron and Eilish, as the show’s color schemes were determined before the film was considered. Each color was selected to match the tone of the song, which is quite evident throughout. Other than the aforementioned darker reds, slower-paced emotional tracks were often associated with the colors blue or green to convey an alteration in tone. Some tracks, however, were not associated with any evident colors (such as the somber yet lively ‘Happier Than Ever’), to which a more stripped-down approach can more closely represent hard-hitting lyrics. The direction taken for each song acted as a visual guide, mirroring the songs at hand in quite the robust fashion.
As mentioned, the film is intercut with interviews between James Cameron and Billie Eilish (in which Cameron is seen holding comically-large 3D cameras). The interviews deal with many themes, including Eilish’s relationship with her fans, which serves as the narrative throughline for this project alongside the music. While sometimes leaning into idol-worship territory, the interviews are presented in earnest, and act as a breather for audiences while serving to further dive into the person behind the music. Second to Eilish and her brother/creative partner Finneas, the fans play a surrogate role as the film’s third character. Many crowd shots are inserted showing fans singing, dancing, and crying, on top of some interviews towards the latter end of the project. The decision to showcase both Eilish’s feelings towards the fans and their appreciation of her work is not new to concert films as a whole, but feels very genuine compared to other recent efforts. This choice, however, sometimes muddies the edit into feeling overstuffed. The opening sequence for ‘CHIHIRO’ is especially egregious in that regard, often cutting from close shots of Billie, wide shots, and coverage of the fans in rapid sequential order. That’s not to say the edit is all bad, just sometimes jarring, with video whiplash taking me out of very high-energy musical moments.
Simply put, ‘Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D)’ delivers pretty much exactly what you would expect when you read a headline stating that Billie Eilish is working with James Cameron. I can very confidently say that it is truly the cheapest concert ticket you can buy in our current landscape. I would recommend seeing it with a crowd, under the caveat that they may hijack the screening by starting an impromptu mosh pit. Fans of Eilish’s body of work will adore this film, and you can be confident in buying a ticket as someone more unfamiliar due to its stunning 3D execution.