21 Comments

as a "ginger" i am not enthralled with being the go-to group for representational value in stuff like that. seems like a lot of shock value with little to show at the end of the day.
Jeremy
2010-04-26 21:34:35

Its a well shot piece of film, and it certainly suits the song, although not entirely sure whether this is controversial or not. Obviously its based in a fictional world, and perhaps Gavras wanted to create something that makes us realize how lucky we are that our world isn't like this and how prejudice is not as common now as it has been in history. Maybe CR could interview Romain and ask.
David - Graphic Design Essex
2010-04-27 10:09:08

Theres a child being shot in the head in this video, fucking ridiculous! maybe a warning would be appropriate?
Steve
2010-04-27 10:11:00

Yeah I don't know what it is about this video, but it didn't impress me. High budget, cheap idea.

However I love the Justice video.
Stuart
2010-04-27 10:33:34

@ Steve

Point taken, a warning has been added.
 PatrickBurgoyne
2010-04-27 10:38:02

I agree with the above. Thankfully I had Steve's comment as a warning.

Don't think much of the video at all really. Think I'm fairly bored of being 'shocked'.
Kate Bauhaus
2010-04-27 11:07:02

south park has already done this joke. The ginger bombers are incredibly hot though. And I say this as a ginger myself.
Michael
2010-04-27 11:08:43

Agree with Stuart - cheap idea and the only thing original is the level of violence allowed to be put into a music video. If they wanted to shock people then show the real horror shows of the world. This just left me empty.

Good song though!
Mark
2010-04-27 11:13:16

Catherine Tate used exactly the same premise to make the same point that David mentions without shooting a kid in the head: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1aQfpbjuLE
Sakis
2010-04-27 11:21:47

Looks like the director's using shock for the sake of it, I can't see any deeper meaning really. Documenting the real injustices in the world would have been far more thought provoking.
Rebecca
2010-04-27 11:48:49

It's a beautiful piece of work and a great song, but I agree with the comments saying that it's perhaps not as cutting edge as it likes to think. I mean, when Catherine Tate beats you to the punchline of your political allegory, you should probably find yourself another allegory.

Also, does anyone find fictionalised depictions of blood and gore shocking any more? I find it interesting that I watched this without a flicker.

Oh, and it can be found at http://www.miauk.com, as Youtube has pulled the video.
david with a small d
2010-04-27 12:36:03

It would be more shocking if it exposed real persecution and prejudice. Unfortunately, it still is pretty common in the world.

I just feel it's been done to make this an online hit, rather than highlight any kind of real injustice.
James Warfield
2010-04-27 13:25:06

Great piece of fantasy cinema. I especially liked the scene where the ginger youths (Palestinians) threw rocks at the American (IDF) troop carrier packed with their fellow resistance fighters, and when they (Tamils) were forced to run through the minefield... Oh, wait... it's just a music video!
Peter Crnokrak
2010-04-27 15:59:28

Youtube has supposedly banned the video due to excessive copyright violence. And if you believe that rubbish, got got some of Saddam Hussein's nukulear weapons to sell ya...

watch it here: http://vimeo.com/11219730
Peter Crnokrak
2010-04-27 16:18:23

dear moderator: please change first "got" to "I've" in "got got some of..."

thanks!
Peter Crnokrak
2010-04-27 16:26:44

I think this is not only well produced but the idea is well thought out. My interpretation of the film is that it is just as trivial to be prejudice towards someone because of their hair colour as it is skin colour, religion, or background.
The added violence may seem unnecessary but i think it cements the point and reminds the viewer that people have been treated and still are treated as awfully as this for just as superficial reasons.
George Foote
2010-04-27 20:42:48

This comment was from someone on vimeo but I kinda agree

"it's funny that we live in a time when a slight twist on actual reality, in narrative form and (sort of) put to music, is considered sensationalism"

that said, when artists have no comment on the videos for there own music, like MIA has and Justice for Gavras' other video that bugs me and It does seem like it's just shock to sell music
A
A
2010-04-27 22:58:18

If you can't see that the ginger is a metaphor I guess this video is not for you anyway.
Maybe this one suits you better? Simple and straight to the point.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rXPrfnU3G0&feature=player_embedded
POSTRmagazine
2010-04-28 09:24:40

i think the violence outweighs the idea by a quite a sum. The plight of the ginger haired as a metaphor isn't good enough, its a trivial thing but perhaps not trivial enough to carry the intended message.

Also....notice the scene from Apocolypto at the end with the mines instead of spears and arrows? poor show
alex
2010-04-28 12:21:48

also how come all the ginger people are white? haven't they ever seen a ginger haired black man?

it really is just catherine tate does call of duty
R
2010-04-28 13:05:25

I think this is a bold and great video.
DELS
2010-05-05 17:05:00

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