The Riot is Yet to Come: Kaiser Chiefs "Angry Mob"

Kaiser Chiefs "Angry Mob"
dir. by W.I.Z.
[via antville]
The name of the restaurant - Noblesse - is engraved in the window that separates the outcast women from the diners who excised them. The French word means what it looks like, but is perhaps more widely know as in the phrase "Noblesse oblige" - a concept which implies that those with wealth or prestige have a heightened social accountability. Or to quote Spiderman, "with great power comes great responsibility."

Director W.I.Z. has previously tackled issues of class and discrimination, but here his commentary is laced with a hint of modern political allegory. The privileged patrons of the glossy establishment observe the members of the bachelorette-party with condescending smirks and glances. Eventually they set the two groups of rowdy drunk women against each other, observing the ensuing brawl with glee - simultaneously sharing knowing looks (as if to say "I told you they were uncivilized") while quietly relishing in the spectacle of the physical altercation. The lower "class" fights amongst itself while the upper, protected by the institutions of society, stands back and watches with a sense of moral superiority - a pattern which could apply to a certain war in the Middle East, or recent riots on the streets of Paris.

Yet it's the restaurant itself which got half these ladies drunk in the first place. And while they may pretend to be above the crowd, the seated folks have the same human desires and emotions as the skirt-lifting women they shun. While one group expresses their sexuality with blow-up sex toys and racy lingerie, the other resorts to secretive touching under the table. The wine-n-dine crew resent the scantily-clad and loud women across the restaurant precisely because they expose the suppressiveness of their own stuffy mentality. They stand in the window and relish the altercation out there because it releases all the emotion they hold back in the name of everything that is "proper."

It's only a matter of time before the mob realize they are being used. And when that happens they will do as they've been trained to do: express their anger through base violence. Sadly only in these moments when the fear comes home do the wealthy and powerful truly understand their social obligations - and hopefully the ersatz nature of "nobility."

Tell Me I'm Right, Tell Me I'm Wrong: The White Stripes "You Don't Know What Love Is"

The White Stripes "You Don't Know What Love Is"
dir. by The Malloy Brothers
Loyalty is not necessarily love. Jack White describes the frustrations of being with, or wanting to be with, someone who blindly and silently sticks in a relationship. It isn't that the other doesn't say "i love you," it's that she rarely says anything else. The lack of criticism or anger comes off as a lack of interest or passion.

In the video the Malloys show the couple walking on the beach, but though they begin holding hands they end up separately framed. Jack makes his way over to her side of the duplex, but she remains coy and blank. Yet Meg's reasons for staying away are likely more complicated than he understands, and in one scene she clearly points at him while the chorus of the song plays - implying that perhaps neither of them really know what love is.

Soldiering On: Green Day "Working Class Hero"

Candles burning amidst barbed wire...


Green Day "Working Class Hero"
dir. by Sam Bayer
From clenched fists to restrained tears, this is a video boiling with emotion - suppressed into black and white where it wants color. Director Sam Bayer and Green Day take Lennon's working class themes and apply it to the genocide in Darfur; to the universal struggle for freedom and expression. The boys aren't after your sympathy - sympathy is too easy - but more crucially your empathy. Bayer uses a deep focus on realistic portraits to give a face to the accompanying facts and statistics. People aren't just being killed, this specific man's father was murdered in front of him. A woman was raped next to her dead husband's body, citizens are hunted like rabbits and the Sudanese live in fear of making a sound - these are the witnesses. These people tell their stories not simply for help, but for understanding above all else.

Green Day both mock and embrace the pathos of the title, seeing it as an embodiment of the false American ideal as well as the hope for future change. The song trudges along like an army march, but the the chorus gains steam each time it's repeated. With a flag hanging solemnly behind them, Billie Armstrong and company challenge the "working class" of America to break through the walls of society which box them in, to fight for something real. The horror of Darfur demands immediate action, but it also presents an opportunity for millions around the world to step up and don the proverbial cape - to actually become heroes. In the process the artist's hope we might escape the communal self-doubt which terrorizes the world and fuels hate crimes in the first place.

Danger Stranger: The Strokes "You Only Live Once"

One of the best videos of the year is a remake in more than one way...


The Strokes "You Only Live Once"
dir. by Warren Fu
"We cast this message into the cosmos . . . Of the 200 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy, some - - perhaps many - - may have inhabited planet and space faring civilizations. If one such civilization intercepts Voyager and can understand these recorded contents, here is our message: We are trying to survive our time so we may live into yours. We hope some day, having solved the problems we face, to join a community of galactic civilizations. This record represents our hope and our determination and our goodwill in a vast and awesome universe."
- Jimmy Carter's statement placed on the Voyager 1 spacecraft on September 5, 1977

Thirty years ago, in 1977, America was at a pivotal moment in its political and cultural history. Following decades of disappointment involving assassination, war and Watergate, the people had just elected a Georgian governor to come in from left field and clean things up. The "hippie" counter-culture movement of the 60's was over, and a new breed of anti-establishment activists were sprouting up. In their song "1977," English band The Clash blasphemously declared "No Elvis, Beatles or the Rolling Stones" - symbolizing a rising global wish to start anew. Writer Roger Sabin went as far as calling '77, in reference to the birth of the punk movement, "year zero."

Of course by the end of Carter's presidency we had trained terrorists in Afghanistan, lost complete control over the Middle East through the Iran hostage debacle, and suffered a major energy crisis. It would be too easy to blame a single moment in history for our current woes, but it's fascinating to study how quickly that hope for change in '77 disappeared into an avalanche of problems that still plague us today. The recent renewed interest in the music of that time isn't just about back-to-basics rock, it represents a yearning for a new revolution - our own chance at starting over.

The Strokes latest video for "You Only Live Once," from their 2006 album First Impressions of the Earth, sets all this up in a matter of seconds. Director Warren Fu brilliantly flips through 70's television commercials and documentary footage of our rising consumption habits as an ominous slab blocks out the sun. Carter gives a speech on energy while all that gas guzzling and thirst for "more" everything leads us into an eventual nuclear holocaust - wiping away our entire civilization sometime in the near future. Yet it's no coincedence the band's name appears in the stars with the sun poking through the "o" in "strokes" - hope is in the music.


This is a band that led the garage rock revival of the early 2000's, and thousands of years in the future they are apparently going to lead the rebirth of the human race*. References to Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke's iconic film abound, from the Hal-like artificial intelligence to the climactic colorful passage through space - but there are a number of differences here as well. Whereas 2001: A Space Odyssey has often been interpreted as a spiritual trip from birth to enlightenment, or a historical critique spanning the entire history of human civilization, Fu's vision is much more limited in scope. By focusing on a specific time period and a specific chain of events, his video forms a potent critique of our current cultural climate (via 4000 A.D).

And while "2001" has been said to allude to the coming of a new "god" via Byzantium (1), Fu's decision to take us backwards in history at the end signifies his faith in humanity to overcome its own problems. As the Strokes sing of "countless odd religions" the director portrays everything from the star of David to the Ying Yang symbol in a slot machine of random luck - "it doesn't matter which you choose." Kubrick ends his masterpiece with a giant fetus observing the Earth, but in this video the spaceship learns of the miracle of birth through transmissions emitting from a sunken time capsule. Despite all the ugliness, the beauty of human life and artistic expression is not completely buried.

In many ways Fu's vision isn't just an ode to Kubrick, it's his personal interpretation of 2001. The former LucasFilm employee wants us to revisit the classic from a fresh perspective, to apply its lessons to modern times. It's also a work that sheds new light on the Strokes much-maligned third album, which now emerges as a commentary on our self-destructive society. If machines were to find our relics in the distant future, would they have a positive first impression? What if they found only your artifacts, your time capsule? These are the important questions that linger after watching Warren Fu's beautifully realized music video - you only live once.

* The Strokes debut, The Modern Age EP, was released in...2001

Rose-Colored Glasses: The White Stripes "Icky Thump"

The White Stripes "Icky Thump"
dir. by Malloy Brothers
Jack and Meg stomp through Mexico on a mission to uncover the hypocrisy of American foreign policy. The fantasy Mr. White sees there is a collage of surreal imagery and real world scenarios. The directors create a gorgeous environment of enticing neon lights, tiny details of the absurd variety and the always potent mix of red and white hues. All the death puppets and one-eyed villains of this underworld imply impending doom for Jack, but he seems to emerge unscathed - save for an icky bump on his head.

The nonchalance with which he strolls in and out (simply waving at a border guard) suggests an elitist (and racist) view of the place. It's a country where you go to have a good time or see something bizarre, but make sure to leave before it gets too ugly. Apart from the literal border trips that some Americans take on Friday nights, there is a more symbolic fleecing of Mexico going on - with our government playing the role of "pimp and prostitute." The wall being built is aimed at keeping immigrants out, but it might never rise high enough to prevent grubby hands from reaching back in.

Fast Food: The Killers "For Reasons Unknown"

The Killers "For Reasons Unknown"
dir. by
The criticism of Sam's Town has centered around its obviousness - a mediocre rip-off rather than the homage to Born to Run it wants to be. The video for first single "When We Were Young" didn't help matters much, a melodramatic tragedy full of barstools, dusty hillsides and fallen women. Suddenly The Killers first album, Hot Fuss, looked just as false, a costume of new wave rather than synthy sincerity. All that dramatic posing in the "Mr. Brightside" video wasn't masking a broken heart, it was simply posing.

It's always been tough to judge where Brandon Flowers is coming from as a writer. The cringeworthy "Somebody Told Me" was certainly tongue-in-cheek, but then again where can we find good Killer's lyrics? Isn't the band's entire enterprise tongue-in-cheek? The "For Reasons Unknown" video certainly seems to suggest as much. Poking fun at the "Americana" image they apparently don't fit, as well as their lack of subtlety (sitting in open chairs right as he says "there was an open chair") and even Flowers' recently cited resemblance to Kernel Sanders - The Killers manage a mildly entertaining ride (which happens to sum up their existence as a musical act thus far). Is it fair to expect anything more?

Yes, especially when after writing one of the best pop songs of the decade you proclaim - with a straight face - your next album to be the best in 20 years. Ouch.

The Spritz Nipper: Fountains of Wayne "Someone to Love"

Schlesinger and crew use comedy to paint a picture of frustrating isolation...

Fountains of Wayne "Someone To Love"
dir. by Adam Neustadter
As you prepare for the coming workday, you make sure and check two things before you head out the door in the morning. There are many things you should do, like brush your teeth or eat some cereal, but the essential facts for you as a modern worker are the traffic and weather reports on your local news. These morning broadcasts are aimed precisely at the 9 to 5 crowd, and it's no surprise that the repetitiveness of each day's show may serve to remind you of the banality of your own job. Yet the irony of both categories - traffic and weather - is that they are essentially unpredictable. You may always wake up to the weatherman spouting his opinions, but that's just what they are - his opinions. There may be an accident on the freeway or there may not; anything could happen today.

Fountains of Wayne, whose latest album is indeed titled Traffic and Weather, want to emphasize this idea to the two lonely protagonists of "Someone to Love." These characters live simple lives without complications or traumas, but they still wake up each morning tired and vacant. Their apartments are finely decorated and color coordinated, they maintain a strict routine to their day - but they still feel scattered and messy. Moments of self-expression are few and far between, and usually consist of singing in the shower or dancing alone. But these are still two interesting and somewhat similar folks who seem destined for one another, and if they just wait long enough something is bound to happen - they live in the same building for Pete's sake!


Yet life is unpredictable, and the video would have been too simple if it gave us just what we wanted. The truth is loneliness is not solely a product of one's environment or life experience - it's a self-inflicted state of mind as well. The big city may seem a cold and harsh place, but it's still up to you to find warmth in it. With each passing night these characters pity themselves more and more, until they have become entirely self-involved (the excessive apartment decoration can also be a symbol of that).

Thus when the opportunity for something new does present itself, they are too oblivious to recognize it. Each is more concerned with completing the motions of their meaningless work day - so that they might return home and have something to mope about in the evening - than actually pursuing love or happiness. When Chris Collingwood sings "you're not the only one lonely," he means to both inspire and criticize those that wallow in self-pity. Before you can have faith in the world around you, you must first believe in your own capability for change.

Rising From the Underworld: Augie March "The Cold Acre"

Discovering the fruit of fruitless labor...


Augie March "The Cold Acre"
dir. by Nice Trees
The first sentence of Saul Bellow's The Adventures of Augie March begins with "I am an American." The writer was in fact Canadian-born, and the band which takes its name from his classic novel is actually a product of Australia. But Augie March, a group which has already earned both critical and popular success in their native land, now aim to conquer Bellow's adopted home with their brand of rock.

Before they can do that though, they must first push their rock to the top of the hill. The Sisyphean conceit of the video contrasts well with Bellow's fascination with the "American" ideal of self-reliance. While only one man begins this journey to the top, it will take a whole group to complete it. Yet when they finally do achieve the goal, the rock grows legs and runs back to the bottom - mirroring the same frustration of the Greek mythological figure. In his essay The Myth of Sisyphus, philosopher Albert Camus depicted this tale as symbolic of the absurdity of life.


Yet Camus was not condoning suicide or giving up, rather he saw the process of pushing the rock - no matter how many times repeated - as "enough to fill a man's heart." In fact the only way to be happy is to embrace the futility of your life and simply live it contently. The directors here have a similar idea, but the satisfaction of the absurd task is inseparable from the brotherhood and feeling of community that develops along the way. Whereas Sisyphus feels an ultimate moment of dejection upon seeing his boulder roll away, the character's in "The Cold Acre" have the comfort of each other to lessen the blow. Furthermore, they actually do get the rock to rest atop that hill for a moment.

Each character that decides to help this man is previously involved in his own solitary activity. From the silly poet to the absent-minded archer, every one is searching for some fulfilling activity. Their choice to help out is not about having some strange fascination with pushing large objects, but a need to work together towards a definable end. Whether or not this is also a metaphor for the creation of (rock) music, the actual work is irrelevant. The only way to escape the "cold acre" of your heart is to feel connected with the rest of humanity - united in pursuit of a common goal. At the end of the video the rock has gone away, and with it the unbearable burden of individual despair.

BONUS VIDEO:


Augie March "One Crowded Hour"
dir. by Nice Trees

Parallel Lines: U2 vs. Dylan

Two stylistically similar videos from the resident kings of rock 'n roll go head-to-head, and you might be surprised who comes out on top...


U2 "Windows in the Skies"
dir. by Gary Koepke


Bob Dylan "Thunder on the Mountain"
dir. by (anyone know?)
The recent deluge of lip-sync videos hasn't lessened the wow-factor upon seeing the technique used really well. Here we have two professionally made big-time productions that achieve nearly flawless illusions, and give the die-hard music nerd a nice novelty treat (if you know where every shot in the Dylan video comes from I'm looking right at you). But is there more to these visuals than showing off simply awesome editing skills? Maybe...

The most obvious factor that separates the U2 vid from the Dylan one is the use of a wider scope of musical history in the former. I've heard critics comment on the self-congratulatory nature of "Windows in the Skies" in that it reeks of U2 boasting "music's greatest acts are singing our song, we're cool!" Well one expects nothing less from Bono Vox, but let's be fair here, Dylan's video is just as masturbatory in a "I've been great for a really long time" kind of way. But whether or not the respective artists came up with these treatments, they still exist as separate works of art under the guidance of a director. Thus they deserve to be examined independent from the egos of the musicians involved.

"Thunder on the Mountain" is a fairly brilliant song, and features some of Dylan's most depressing lyrics on the modern world yet. It's also filled with wit and a lighthearted smirk, with some truly clever couplets threatening to overshadow the gloom factor. Yet while the music video reveals many sides of Dylan, it doesn't uncover much about the song. Though the majority of the lyrics are obscure and hard to relate, like any Dylan song one can at least attempt an interpretation.


One might argue that in this context the song becomes a reflection on Dylan's entire career, and certainly the opening lines can attest to this possibility, "Thunder on the mountain, and there's fires on the moon/A ruckus in the alley and the sun will be here soon" could be from any era in the songwriter's long career. But in focusing on the historical picture of Dylan the director partially negates the insight of this song, pulled from 2006's Modern Times, which comments directly on our current state of affairs (even making an Alicia Keys reference). So while it may be a fanboy's wet dream of a video, it lacks any clear assertive point - which clearly isn't what the career of the greatest songwriter is about.

The U2 video, on the other hand, has something definitive to say while using the song as support and amplification for it's message. It's also one hell of a fun video to watch with it's inclusion of both raucous performing and groovy dancing. Central is this concept of performance, which provides the link between the power of the music and the "people" who might be moved by it.

The spreading red veins that take root in the instruments and bodies of the musicians are the vibes of "love" reaching out to the world. In the song Bono's line, "Can't you see what our love has done" takes on both painful and positive connotations. Here director Koepke is exclusively searching for the good that can emerge from music; the undeniable power of ecstatic self-expression. It's important that these are mostly live performances, because it is in the immediacy of the playing, singing and dancing that we find the most joy. We see ourselves in those moments, and we understand something true about the feeling behind the music.


U2 appear at the end of the video as fans themselves, faces in the crowd just out to enjoy the sounds. While one doubts that The Edge gets a chance to see concerts uninhibited very often, the scenes are included to remind one of the connectivity of music through time. Every artist, no matter how large, is also a fan of music him or herself. We can't help but be inspired by others, and that final image of budding flowers includes Sinatra and Jay-Z as much as me or you. Music is truly an infectious thing, and for all their posing one can't deny the effect that artists like Dylan and U2 can truly have on the world. It's for celebrating our collective love of music that "Windows in the Skies" gets a rousing ovation.

Download: My favorite Dylan song (right now) - "Love Minus Zero/No Limit"

A Perilous Adventure

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

This stunningly crafted video for Mew’s smashing new single, “Special,” is a metaphorical study of the allure, joy and pain of love…



VIDEO: "Special" by Mew

In Antonioni’s L’Aventurra (1960), the seemingly perfect love of a couple is imposed upon by infidelity, lust and distrust. While a love triangle forms and then falls apart, the rough and placid environment itself because a major player in this evolution. By the end of the film things have changed irrevocably for the lovers, but there is a sense of possible renewal that illuminates the final scenes in rural Italy.

Directed by Martin De Thurah, this video lives in the same universe as L’Aventurra with its themes of black & white isolation and hypnotic use of water imagery (not to mention a beautiful lead actress whose looks are on par with Monica Vitti’s), but it’s also decidedly new wave, film noir and post-modern, referencing everything from Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon to Eternal Sunshine. And it moves fluidly through all these places precisely because it deals with subject matter that is both universal and timeless.

The first image is a monumental one, a visually stunning shot of a woman bursting out of and then hovering above the dark water that surrounds her. Water is typically associated with re-birth, but here the director plays with that concept. The beginning of new love is the birth of an entirely new consciousness, new feelings and new heights of emotion. But as the couple embrace amidst the water, it serves as a sexual metaphor as much an emotional or spiritual one. The original feeling of attraction and seduction is further represented in the “dance” that takes place between the woman and her man. While at first flamboyantly opposed to the beat of the tune, the movements become more precise as the relationship progresses. It is at the climax of this mating tango that the woman is sent literally floating through the air, on a high of pure joy (a truly brilliant shot).

Everything is over-the-top, from the extreme symbolism to the ridiculously dramatic dancing of the lovers. Yet it is intentionally so, and representative of both the idealization of love and the way in which it can blind and overtake our senses. The bearded man jumps across tables to be nearer to his love, when he could have simply run around them. But notice as the woman soars ecstatically, she has her eyes closed, as if she is already dreaming of the present moment as it is happening. Love is the subject of many a dream, and for that reason we may often assume we are in it when we are not, or also fail to grasp it when we truly are.

As the couple moves further and further out of the water in which they where once immersed, they begin to lose the innocence and naivety of those first moments. We see the woman stare longingly out her window at the passing rapids, wishing for the rush of feeling that she once had. The couple has moved from the silly bliss of their courting dance to the more stagnant embrace of the living room. They have moved from the freedom of the outside to the domestication of home-living love, they are now officially together. But in that precise moment the entire process seems to lose its shine, faults begin to creep up, we notice the annoying things that we had ignored before and for the first time, we feel the disgust and fear of banality.

She slaps him hard across the face, but he seems almost resigned to that fact, almost expecting it. Yet perhaps what we don’t expect, and what she doesn’t either, is that he is willing to follow her back into the water – they are both ready to take the “plunge” again. Much like the aforementioned Eternal Sunshine, Mew captures here a very vital strand of the modern relationship dynamic; this need for excitement, but also this ability to forgive and forget endlessly. The final lines of the song are “I saw the worst of you,” and even as the woman screams insults at her love, he doesn’t wilt in his dedication. There are both positive and negative connotations to this. Relationships never progress perfectly, we can almost never fully express what we really want to say to each other, but at the same time, the overwhelming feeling of love can persist through even the most difficult of situations – as long as you are willing to take the risk it requires. And that risk is consistently drowning in the pool of innocence, rather than embracing the often-painful realities of your feelings.

Still So Young

VIDEO: "When You Were Young" The Killers

The opening and closing shot of this video feature a prominent white crucifix, the ultimate historical symbol of purity and innocence. Complimenting this idea is a beautiful young woman in all white, a direct reference to the concept of the "virgin." But she's crying, and suddenly there are flashes of a darker past - and in fact the male protagonist truly "doesn't look a thing like jesus."

The loss of innocence is not a new subject for the Killers. In fact the triumphant single "Mr. Brightside" was partially dealing with the same concept of self-illusion vs. reality. But the religious iconography of both the song and now the video point to a different sort of "loss" in "When We Were Young."

After the foreshadowing of the opening we are plunged into the middle of the story, the woman praying at the church. She emerges to find her lover standing with a cross behind him, exactly in the middle - he seems ideal in her mind. But we quickly learn that he is anything but, and she catches him cheating in her own bed. As she flashes through the idyllic images of the beginnings of love we might anticipate that this is a classic tale of the innocent virgin corrupted by the dirty older man.

But then there is that highly sexualized scene with the water washing across the woman's bare feet and thighs as the man literally licks his lips in lust. In this image there is the hint that perhaps she was not as "innocent" as we had thought. The lyrics of the song seem to point us in that direction as well, "waiting on some beautiful boy to save you from your old ways." She arrives in his bar looking for "work," whatever type of work it is - she clearly sees that he keeps women around and then gets rid of them quite easily. That doesn't bother her, because what she is seeking is re-birth at all costs.

Both of the characters see in each other the chance to start over. The man sees in her the "perfect" virgin and the chance at being a "man", and the woman sees in him "jesus" the savior and the chance at fulfilling her "womanly" role. And while the woman is perhaps more idealistic than him, her complete belief in the ideal is what prevents her from seeing the truth of the situation. It's this same complete belief in ideals and symbols of perfection that let her come back to him after he cheats, and it’s also what leads him back to her. There is no loss of "innocence" in this story, just the cycle of pain that comes from striving to hold to an image of perfection.

They both end up back at the cross, kneeling, crying. There is no hope in this image, simply the foreboding idea that the cycle continues. Every step, from the whiteness of the marriage day to the blue sky above the cross, is marked with an extreme belief in the need and ability for purification. But what neither character understands is that "purity" is not a real thing, it's a harmful concept dreamt up by society to keep people in line; to instill fear in our hearts so that we might not fully experience the joys of life. The religious ideas of virginity, of the savior and everything that they imply are all dangerous to our self-image and our confidence in not only ourselves, but humanity as well. That is the sadness that rests on the final image of the two embracing lovers; it's not that their hearts are broken, but the fact that they pursue a dream that they will never achieve and one that is in fact the root of all their pain.

Welcome To the Black Parade

VIDEO: "Welcome To the Black Parade" My Chemical Romance

What's lost amidst all the mockery that "goth" recieves in modern culture is the truly inspiring core of the movement. Contrary to some interpretations, this isn’t a group of devil-worshipping sad moppy freaks. With “Welcome to the Black Parade,” My Chemical Romance may have finally written the rousing battle cry that not only illuminates the motivating ideas behind the larger movement, but one that could unite the disparate roots of this group into one triumphant "parade" of defiance. Because that is, essentially, what all the make-up, anarchist paraphernalia and battered clothing are all about; the forgotten, the discriminated, the condemned souls of society are all invited to join this black procession against the norm.

The video is successful on it’s own terms in transcribing the ethos of the song, but like all good music videos, it seems to co-exist with the song at every step. Drawing cues from and referencing everything from Persona to 1920’s German Expressionism, the video is scaled and filmed to the epic proportions of MCR’s ambitious production, and perhaps succeeds where the song musically falls short. The marvelous faux-Oz set piece (particularly reminiscent of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari) is the highlight though, with its snow-globe environment cascading around a dilapidating society. It’s precisely that blackened castle in the background, the soaring reminder of what could be, that forms the central theme of the work – and it’s most beautiful image.

The insane hospital that our protagonist begins in is perhaps a representation of the confining hold of “normality” or socially accepted morals. Notice the way in which the bored nurse registers no emotion towards the struggling patient, and more obviously, the stark whiteness of that environment crumbles under the weight of the “black parade” in this man’s dreams. As the singer triumphantly declares “this world will never take” his heart.

The TV screen on which the man sees his song played out is a reference to the band, who have huge ideas about the power of music to inspire. And yet the TV screen cannot help but also reference the very music video that we are watching (as well as the aforementioned Persona) – it’s the type of self-reference that could be tacky accompanied by a lesser song – but MCR are not attempting to hide the epic notions of their craft.

There are other clues to the scope of this vision. The sign that reads, “Starved to death in a world of plenty” is clear, and in the song itself we can hear it echoed in “though you’re broken and defeated, you’re weary widow marches on.” This image of the weary widow is a powerful symbol of hope, ironically dressed in typical images of “fear.” What the filmmakers and band are pushing here is a revisionist ideology; it’s about reaching out and including all those that feel forgotten. Thus when the patient finally goes “insane” he is in fact roaming about the fields of blackness that represent the idyllic future, a world that now only exists in his mind.

And yet perhaps the final shot of the lonely wanderer gives clues to the limits of this concept. We hear from the singer “I’m not a hero/just a boy, who’s meant to sing this song.” But perhaps there is some need for a heroic figure, or at least someone to outline exactly where this procession is headed. The castle in the distance raises spirits, but in utter defiance of conformity has a feasible alternative been found? On some level it may seem that this is simply a surface revolution; change your clothes, wear some dark eyeliner. But if nothing more these surfaces represent a deeper need for revolution and for change, and for that reason alone – MCR and the rest should keep marching.