Runaway was filmed in Prague over a period of four days in the summer of 2010. The film ends with Griffin desperately running through the forest, presumably in an (ultimately futile) attempt to find her and stop her, while the phoenix contemplates this, notably sad, and continues on her flight. He wakes up the next morning on his apartment roof, with the phoenix nowhere to be found, and is eventually revealed that it is now flying across the sky to fulfill her fate, being adorned in a golden chest plate. Griffin, however, cannot accept this and they make love to " Lost in the World" (featuring Bon Iver). She comments on the repressive nature of his world, declaring, "Do you know what I hate most about your world? Anything that is different you try to change." She then tells him she must burst into flames to avoid this fate, and thus, return to her world. The phoenix claims they are phoenixes that have been turned to stone by society. The couple is seen sitting outside under the stars (in a scene reminiscent of Jackson's Moonwalker) where they chat about the creation of sculptures. It then cuts to a scene of the phoenix sitting in Griffin's garden whilst a dark cloud overwhelms the sky accompanied by " Blame Game". The beginning of " Hell of a Life", is played during this scene. The dinner ends when the phoenix, horrified, screams in anguish at the revelation that the main dish is a large turkey, driving the guests away from the table. The diners toast to the lyrics saluting the "douche bags" and applaud Griffin's performance. Later, "loaves and fishes" are on the menu.Īn upset Griffin responds with a performance of " Runaway", backed by an interpretive dance sequence with ballerinas in black tutus, followed by a slow-motion sequence where lead dancers perform solos to an Auto-Tuned continuation of the song. The first course is bread and a pink beverage served in wine glasses, suggesting Holy Communion. Biblical imagery gives the setting a church-like quality.
The party-goers are dressed in white, with the exception of Griffin and the exotic Phoenix, who stands out as both worldly and other-worldly, by comparison to the other guests. The disgusted guests appear to exchange negative comments about the phoenix. Griffin falls in love with the phoenix and they attend a formal dinner party, during which " Devil in a New Dress" is heard. " All of the Lights" is heard during this sequence. After she dances to a remix of " Power" that Griffin plays on an MPC2000XL, he takes her to see different sights, including a carnival with a papier-mâché bust of Michael Jackson, a marching band, and fireworks in the desert. As " Gorgeous" plays, the phoenix comes into contact with objects from the human world, including a news display on a flat-screen television (which shows a news broadcast in the English and Czech language) and a porcelain teacup. While the car explodes in the background, Griffin carries the phoenix in his arms and brings her home. This scene, according to GQ, echoes West's car accident that was the inspiration for " Through the Wire". A phoenix (Ebanks), appearing as half-woman and half-phoenix, crashes down to Earth as a meteorite and Griffin crashes his MTX Tatra V8 in the forest. Griffin is then shown driving his MTX Tatra V8 through the forest with " Dark Fantasy" playing in the background.
This is followed with a narration by Nicki Minaj in an English accent. The film opens with Griffin (West) running down a road in a forest with his shirt unbuttoned, with " Lacrimosa" by Mozart playing in the background.