A Lot of Sorrow (2013)

Icelandic artist and musician Ragnar Kjartanssons often intensely durational performancebased works manifest a rare synthesis of pathos and humor A Lot of Sorrow is both a music video and an extended concert film in which Brooklynbased band the National performs its threeandahalf minute ballad Sorrow on repeat for six hours The bands music and lyrics frequently conjure notions of romantic suffering and melancholythemes common to Kjartanssons emotive theatrical work As the hours pass and fatigue sets in the musicians subtly alter their song the original track is always recognizable but is also shown to be elastic and expressive rather than rigid Kjartansson is sometimes visible in the role of roadie offering water and food to the performers throughout the concert Multiple camera angles grant the viewer access to both the perspective of the musicians and that of the audience as the band and the crowd feed off each others energy with every repetition