I did my best, it wasn't much

[purplefringe]

guys, I...I made another Good Omens vid? A third one? I don't know what has happened, I don't understand anything any more, apparently Good Omens is my whole life now. (Which is good, I guess, because I have well and truly noped out of engaging with the Real World in quite a serious way, so it's nice to have something else to think about.)

This one has...Feelings in it. Many Feelings, which I absolutely did not know I had. But there we are. It's also to a piece of music about which I (along with approx. half the world) have Many Feelings, although I did know about those, because I once wrote a 2,000 word email-essay containing some of them. (it's NOT Queen, I promise)

I think I had a lot more to say, but it has temporarily escaped the chronicler's mind. Er. Have a vid, I guess.

Thank you to the wonderful soupytwist, such_heights & raven, who are lovely and thoughtful (and patient, and long-suffering) betas. If you haven't already, you should watch the Good Omens vids such_heights and raven have made recently, which are both breathtaking in very different ways.

Hallelujah
edited by purplefringe
fandom: Good Omens
music: Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen, covered by Pentatonix
summary: there's a blaze of light in every word / it doesn't matter which you heard / the holy or the broken hallelujah. On faith, and falling, and freedom.
content notes: a shot of a snake at 00:18; a brief shot of a nail being driven into someone's wrist at 2:08. (I also have a version without the snake, if anyone would like that one)

ETA: I strongly recommend you go and read elisi's extraordinary Good Omens meta - the first section is a wonderful commentary on Aziraphale's journey as presented through this glorious vid by promethia-tenk, and the second section (about two thirds down the page) is about Crowley, and ties into this vid! YAY, INTER-TEXTUAL FANWORKS \o/


download: 169MB @ mediafire

Also on tumblr and the AO3

stream:

"Good Omens | Hallelujah" (Watch on YouTube)

Lyrics

Comments

[happydork]

Oh my goodness, Phbs, this is so beautiful and thoughtful and moving and I can't stand it, it's too good, my face orbs are moist. This is just, it's really grab-your-heart-by-the-throat-and-don't-let-go gorgeous, the depth of feeling you draw out is just, yeah, a lot. It's a lot, and I am emotionally compromised, and I'm mad about it. Each different verse brings so much more, layering on top of each other to tell us so much about their complex, messy, 6000 year old relationship with themselves and each other and heaven and hell and humanity. I am currently typing while clutching a cushion for emotional support. It's all a lot. You are very good at this and I would like to complain to the management.

[elisi]

So, I am at about Crowley levels of upset about this:



Like, you weren't kidding about the FEELINGS. Need to re-watch it more, what with the five hundred different meanings and layers you give to 'Hallelujah', but will get back to you asap.

(It also amuses me greatly that while you have been creating this exquisite work of beauty and faith, Owls, Promethia (and I, although not as literally) have been creating something... completely, utterly different. And that both are made from the same six hours or so of TV. This show is a freaking miracle.)

ETA: OK, I am back!

- 'Secret chord' = Ineffable Plan?

- 'But you don't care for music' I presume this is noting that Aziraphale does not want to question anything?

- Obvs the 'minor fall'/'major lift' are *inspired*.

- Aziraphale with the dove is just heartbreaking. And that's all you & the music, cause it's fine on the show. (Although 'Baffled king' is perfect.)

- 'You saw her bathing on the roof' - again, exquisite clip matches, and Azira carrying his heart in his hands.

- But then: 'She tied you to the kitchen chair/She broke your throne and she cut your hair/And from your lips, she drew the Hallelujah' And fuck me that's amazing. (This comment will be mostly flailing.) The uncomfortable notes of The Arrangement all laid out, and (something that is often overlooked) but Crowley is very good at his job. (The way he talks Aziraphale into influencing the Antichrist is masterful.)

- Then a whole collection of Aziraphale faces of continual sadness. This vid was made to crush people. :'( ETA: OK, so it's all about Azira's disappointment with, and dismissal by, Heaven, but his FACE.

- Crowley! Crowley in dialogue. Crowley being cynical and harsh because he's been hurt, and I have literally been writing meta on this today, so I am going to go lightly over that verse cause otherwise I'd just write the whole thing out again.

- 'Well, maybe there's a God above/But all I've ever learned from love/Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya' THIS. This killed me. This slays me on every view. This is goddamn genius and I have ALL the feelings about Crowley and his relationship with God and re-creating his own Garden and treating the plants the way he was himself (I presume that's the Tumblr meta that inspired it?) and MY HEART.

- Break-up. Ugh, also sad. Especially like Crowley's helpless gesture (on 3.01), which just matches things perfectly. How he is trying to communicate, and it's just not working.

- 'Hallelujah'. Aziraphale going up into the light and Crowley down below in the flames is just a gorgeous, gorgeous juxtaposition, and I haven't seen anything like it elsewhere.

- And then you manage to tell the whole rest of the story with only Hallelujahs and music. Especially loved the parallel between grasping Agnes' prophecy and the apple, although I'd love any further insights into clip choices. (or not, if you're all exhausted... <3)

I think that's it. I'll go away and cry about Aziraphale's face and Crowley's pain.

[felis]

Feelings is right, omg. Lovely. <3

[laurashapiro]

I am at work and I can't watch this but you have used This Song and you have used the Pentatonix cover and I might cry from the very idea and I haven't even seen it and I am already broken so thank you for that.

[promethia_tenk]

Promethia's reactions to watching this vid, a timeline:

1) AAAHHHHHH, SHE POSTED IT YAY!!!

2) That song? . . . oooooofffff. Risky, risky. But I gotta respect that.

3) You make a vid apparently about struggling with faith and you make it about Aziraphale? Not, not the character I would have chosen, gotta say. But hey, I'm open to it, we're good . . .

4) OH MY GOD IT'S A DIALOGUE. *hyperventillates* WHAT ARE THESE FEELINGS.

5) WHAT DID I EVER DO TO YOU?!?!? ihateyoudon'tgo

(ETA: I loved it, if that wasn't clear!)

[laurashapiro]

Oh holy fuck.

This journey. This is the one I care about. Aziraphale loses his faith and finds freedom, and knowledge, and love. And it's Crowley who breaks his chains.

What a masterwork. This is breathtaking. My heart feels huge and warm and I want to sing and cry and embrace you. Thank you for making this.

[cathexys]

Wow, I'm not into GO and I didn't think I'd ever want to see another Hallelujah vid and yet you managed to make me care and tear up and have all the feels combining the two! Sheen's facial expressions are so amazing that they must be a vidder's dream, because they tell stories all on their own and you don't need any dialogue...and this cover is perfect for A. in its slightly more poppy [is that a word?] and yet more intimate version. Wow! Thank you for sharing this amazing vid! It's like a master piece and example of what vidding canpull out and interpret and condense and create and accomplish!!!

[rydra_wong]

OH MY FUCKING GOD.

I hope to have some kind of more detailed feedback when I stop screaming, maybe in several days, but -- that song was over-used for fanvids when I got into fandom TWENTY YEARS AGO, and you have OWNED it completely, it belongs to you and this canon now and it's amazing and beautiful, and this is so much the Aziraphale vid I've been needing, about his journey of loss of faith, and the love of/for this ridiculous questioning traumatized demon which helps save him.

ETA: Recced here.

[walkthegale]

Ok, so, this is the first Good Omens fanwork I have consumed since finishing the show. At some point I am sure I will stop crying about this vid long enough to leave you a coherent comment. But until that happens, holy shit, friend, this is a work of art. So, so beautiful.

[lunabee34]

Omg, this is perfection.

[vass]

Here via rydra_wong's rec, and glad I watched. It's beautiful and deft and painful, and like Rydra said, a bold song choice that paid off.

[oracne]

Beautiful.

[kore]

This is PURE AMAZING. Beautiful!

[tree_and_leaf]

Wow, this is really beautiful. Thank you for making and sharing this!

[kass]

OMG THIS IS AMAZING

This was a risky song choice but you made it work. You had me at "the minor fall" -- oh my God what a perfect clip choice, I cannot even

And the shift to Crowley with the vocal shift absolutely slayed me.

and God, I just. Their faces.

I am incoherent. I love this vid so much.

[starlady]

I loved it the first time through, but I realized it was a duet on the second time through and my heart shattered. I need to rewatch it several more times, but this is beautiful and amazing.

[alatefeline]

Wow.

...

...

...

Just ... wow.

[kaydeefalls]

Aw, that was lovely.

[tabaqui]

That was absolutely lovely.

[cadenzamuse]

I feel completely wrung out by this. Especially Crowley's miracles as hallelujahs: the chains, the paintball. Also Michael Sheen's faaaaaaaaace. And the Adam and Eve parallels. And just, god, I feel like you made this song mean something again, after a very long time of it not.

[hokuton_punch]

This is simply gorgeous. ♥

[amalthia]

Lovely vid. It was moving.

[maia]

This is superb.

[juniperphoenix]

This is tremendous. I will be watching over and over.

[renenet]

OMG, this is so gorgeous!