Linear (film)
| Company type | Film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motion picture |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Founder | Anton Corbijn |
| Products | Film incorporating tracks from U2's No Line on the Horizon |
Linear is a 2009 motion picture helmed by Anton Corbijn, incorporating tracks from U2's 2009 release, No Line on the Horizon. It was made available in digital and DVD formats, bundled with various editions of the album.
Development
The idea emerged during a U2 video shoot in June 2007, when Corbijn captured footage of the band standing motionless while objects moved around them, producing a "photograph on the film" visual effect. Impressed by this, U2 enlisted Corbijn in May 2008 to produce a companion film for No Line on the Horizon. Corbijn characterized Linear as more than just a music video; he viewed it as "a new way to listen to a record," blending cinematic storytelling with musical experience.
The storyline centers on a disenchanted Parisian motorcycle policeman grappling with his life and the friction between immigrants and law enforcement, motivating him to journey to his girlfriend in Tripoli. The film features both black-and-white and color sequences and has an approximate duration of 58 minutes. Although finished in time for the album's initial November 2008 launch, ongoing adjustments to the album necessitated re-editing 10 of the 11 songs to align with the film's progression. The cast includes Saïd Taghmaoui as the officer, Lizzie Brocheré portraying the waitress, Marta Barrio as the dancer, and Francisco Javier Malia Vazquez in the role of the bartender.
Plot
Set at night in Paris, the film follows a motorcycle policeman (Taghmaoui) who, upon seeing graffiti stating "Fuck the Police," ignites his police motorcycle ("Breathe"). At daybreak, he embarks on a trip through rural France, crossing into Spain with the goal of reaching his girlfriend in Tripoli ("Winter"). During a stop, he observes a cloud resembling Africa before continuing onward ("White as Snow," "No Line on the Horizon").
He pauses at an almost deserted café where only a waitress (Brocheré) is present; together they watch a U2 music video ("Magnificent"). The officer then proceeds through the countryside toward Cádiz ("Stand Up Comedy"), visiting a bar where a woman (Barrio) dances for him and the bartender (Vazquez) serves drinks. Leaving his keys with the dancer, he notices women dancing with moustaches through a peephole ("Get on Your Boots"). With no accommodation available, he spends the night sleeping on the beach ("Moment of Surrender") and rents a rowboat at dawn to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Tripoli ("Cedars of Lebanon").
Track listing
The film comprises 11 tracks, including 10 selections from No Line on the Horizon arranged differently from their order on the album. The song "Winter," excluded from the album, appears here while "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight" is left out. The sequence reflects the album's track listing as it stood in May 2008.