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Music

Kanye West's "Runaway": The Best Music Video Of All Time? [VIDEO]

We wonder what Taylor Swift has to say about it.

What’s that? You think a 35-minute-long music video directed by and starring Kanye West is a bit self-indulgent? Perhaps. Probably no more so than the incredibly elaborate video collage he premiered for “Power” earlier this year. I mean, who really has the time to watch a music video that long? Still, you gotta give the man credit for innovating and striving to elevate the medium, which has become somewhat stale over the last few years, to a legitimate art form. (We just published a list featuring a few other music video directors who we feel are doing the same).

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With more explosions than a Michael Bay movie, one thing that no one can accuse Kanye of is having modest aspirations for “Runaway.” This video truly warrants the use of the word “epic” not just because of its unusual length, but more so for the grandiose, extravagant, dare we even say ostentatious, cinematography, special effects and plot line it weaves over the course of the half hour. “Weird” is another word it strongly warrants, managing to work in such seemingly disparate visuals as angry Ku Klux members, an inflatable Michael Jackson head, and a fleet of ballerinas into a tale of romance between Kanye and a beautiful, half-naked phoenix girl.

We’re sure this is all probably an allegory for something very, very deep. We’re just not really sure what that is. Watch the video below and see if you can decipher it for yourself. Interpretations welcome!