As a former art student, nothing has made me feel more inadequate than trying to recap this goddamn music video for Lady Gaga’s “Alejandro.” This isn’t just “OMG AK-47 BOOBZ!” This is so much more than that. I AM NOT WORTHY.
This is tough guys. Like… really tough. There’s so much happening!
I tried my best, and because I should probably work on a website design due tomorrow at my real job, I didn’t screen-grab the hell out of this thing, but I hope you like it anyway.
Hey, did you even see the video? Were you talking about it here earlier?
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Without first getting into the recap itself just yet, I’d just like to respond to two comments from Riese’s first ‘Alejandro’ post:
A) Unfortunately, I don’t have any more insight into the meaning behind this video than y’all do. And you know, I like that. I’ll speculate. That’s what it’s there for – whatevs! Let’s talk about it (like you already did without me!) and we can decide for ourselves.
B) Yes, the beat and song are very evocative of Ace of Base (re: JB in Tennesse‘s comment) and also: ABBA. This is done on purpose, which is even evident when Gaga uses the name “Fernando” in her lyrics, referencing ABBA’s 1976 song.
Music (and art in general) goes in cycles — it references itself. I think almost every song my band plays draws upon songs from the past. It references them. It’s fun. Sometimes it’s paying homage. It’s what people and artists do. Many recognize the references and get excited about them. (Or at least I do. Just saying.)
C) Robin’s comments are perfection, and I’m pointing them out because I agree and provide screen-grab references:
I’m like beyond amazed at how many people didn’t like or were completely disturbed by this video. I personally loved it. Mostly because its Steven Klein and its an art piece and its shot so beautifully I wanted to cry a little. I feel like this one is really open to interpretation. For me its a comment on a struggle. Its about a love/hate relationship within the gay community and its about good and evil and how people try and symbolize that. I love the fact that in every video she does she’s commenting on gender and sexuality. She’s letting us see how fluid we are.
I loved how all the different stuff happening in the video reminded you all of many different things! Sarah pointed out that the headdress in the beginning reminds her of something you’d see out of Metropolis. An interesting observation considering Robin’s comment about Madonna‘s video for “Express Yourself” being inspired by Metropolis. Here are some images from that movie for funsies:
I’m not going to get into Madonna/Gaga stuff. Steven Klein (director of this video as you all know, and fashion photographer) has worked with Madonna before and purposely put the “Madonna” in “Gaga” for this video, so to speak.
Alright, so enough talk. I’m starting to lose my mind, I’ve done like forty lines of cocaine to write this and will probs never sleep and become very pale. Bring on the screen grabs:
I don’t know who’s in the coffin, but it’s fun to speculate! Jenny Schecter? Riese thinks it’s the person she killed in Paparazzi, I think she is wrong. Alexander McQueen? Too soon?
Generally, Gaga seems like a lady in control of her homo-legion. You know, like Hitler to the Nazis or something. Except the opposite of that ’cause Homos are nice and don’t kill people in gas chambers.
If I may just comment superficially on Gaga’s general appearance in this video, you may have noticed that she looks, umm, well… we’ll just say that this gloomy apocalyptic lighting doesn’t do her any favors. She purposely makes herself as “ugly” as she can, specifically in this video, and I LOVE THAT ABOUT HER.
So like a few of you pointed out, there is some real gender role-switcher-roo-ing happening here. SO. MUCH. GENDER-FUCKERY. And we love it.
(Sure, that dude is on “top” but he’s totally AUTOSTRADDLING HER and the control is shared.)
I also love the male sensuality:
Oh look! It’s my favorite part in every Lady Gaga video — Gaga dancing in her underwear obvs:
By the way, if you think I’ve already learned this dance for mine and Stef’s ukulele rendition of this song, you would be 100% CORRECT.
Hey, a commenter totally called this when I recapped the ‘Alejandro’ preview, and I don’t remember who it was, and I’m too lazy to look it up: you were totally right about this weird face thing! Bam!
We’ve never seen Lady Gaga in pants before… so uh, that’s new and ground-breaking! I like those pants a lot… if they were on the floor ooohhhhhhh:
The gun bra needs no introduction.
UPDATE: Correction! These are M-16s. Not like anyone really cares, but I went out of my way to classify the guns and, well, I was super wrong!
Throughout this video, I have to confess that very time I pause to deconstruct a frame or symbol, I fail. I don’t know what it is and hope that someone else has figured this shit out (or maybe some of you have your own insights and ideas?) ’cause a lot of stuff is going over my head, and it’s frustrating!
I think this is happening with a lot of people? I just want to know what this stuff means!
My #1 frustration: the film played in the background of/and throughout the video.
Were you sitting there like me wondering where the hot gay action was? No? Just me? WELL IT’S THERE, and I found it!
That’s all the screen-grabs I got. You know the parts I left out I am just as confused about as you are and well, they are totally un-make-fun-of-able.
A;ex’s Final Thoughts:
If you can’t appreciate this music video on your own, appreciate it as a favor for me. At least appreciate it’s existence for confusing you, leaving you wondering “what does it all mean?!” (as I did.) ‘Cause that’s what my experience with art is: fucking confusion. I learned a long time ago everything means something — there are no coincidences, only meaning, and someone is always referencing something besides the thing itself, otherwise it wouldn’t be art, it would be a toaster or a commercial for a toaster. It’s beautiful, but also it means something even if what it means to you is different than what it means to another commenter or to Steven Klein or to Lady Gaga. The point is: this isn’t ‘Baby One More Time’. This shit is for real. And not many people in Lady Gaga’s place are able or willing to do what she does.
If the video made you angry — or if you found it titillating or maybe just beautiful — then terrific. I’d rather something inspire anger than apathy. I’d rather there be something to comment on than not. Interpret however you want — that’s what it’s there for. As long as I feel something, I am glad it exists.
So at the end of the day, I learned about:
1) a movie called “Metropolis” from 1927 that I should probably see
2) German expressionism
3) the Weimar Republic
4) that “dance” in German is “tanz”
5) and I learned a little bit more about Madonna as well!
Even Grace Chu from gracethespot actually researched the art and fashion of the 1930s in Germany for her recap. I mean, come on, that can’t be a bad thing right?
Neither can this:
Riese’s Special Comment:
Now that I’ve finished looking this over for any spelling errors I hope Managing Editor Sarah can fix in the morning as my bedtime was two minutes ago, I’ve allowed myself to read other writings on the topic.
yeahisaid it, a commenter at Jezebel, makes an interseting point:
Gaga is showcasing male-only worlds — the military, Catholicism, gay men — that she will always be excluded from, or at least never fully accepted in, or never fully loved or completed in, just because she is a woman… but then she counters her own argument at the end by holding the camera on the face of a man haunted by images of violence that men who live in those worlds must endure.
I would add “or at least rationalize” at the end. I think that might be spot on, IMHO. Here’s Lady Gaga’s tweet on the topic:
i think there’s clearly an ‘A’ on that heart, so i was inclined to believe that alejandro was in the casket. that made me think death might be a heavy theme in the video, coupled with the whole ‘impenetrable’ vibe (echoed in the comment from jezebel). gaga can’t have alejandro if he’s dead, catholic, gay, etc.
my favorite part was definitely the kablam-o bra. a nice comment on women using their sexuality as a weapon. in the end though, when she finally bared her breasts, she was utterly devoured for it. (a comment on the duality of using sexuality as a weapon?)
i swear, every time gaga comes out with a new video, i have a new addition to my ‘what i want to be for halloween’ list..
holy shit, weird you said that cuz i just woke up and had a dream last night that i had a telephone video costume of gaga. it was hot.
You’re right, Alejandro was in the casket.Gaga was at his funeral holding his heart. When he was alive,they figured out Alejandro was gay, and sexually abused him, resulting in his death
i’ve gotten as far as “IDK, my bff rose?” and i just wanted to say i adore you, alealejandra vega.
alealejandra vega!
i just LOL’d in a quiet place.
Here is an in-depth analysis of the song and video:
http://prospolitics.wordpress.com/2010/06/08/alejandro/
I wholeheartedly agree with yeahisaid that this video portrays a male-only world that excludes females; a situation Gaga is trying to counter by dressing up as a manly as we’ve ever seen her (trousers!), and with other forms of gender play.
For me it’s like a medieval nightmare, where the world is evil, everyone is a puppet and we can only pray (the Catholic God) for our lives (after death). No dialogue nor mutual understanding between people, esp between men and women: only conflict.
So, all in all, I’m really glad this is QUALITY and not Baby One More Time and that it is very beautifully shot; I just wish Lady Gaga had not created expectations in the gay community by saying it was going to be a celebration of gay love and lifestyle. There, and only there, is where my disappointment lies (I can handle the references to Madonna insofar as they are reactions to what the press says).
I just like to say i love German expressionism.
Fantastic writeup. I don’t think the video is specifically as German/Nazi-ish as a lot of people are assuming, but rather GagaKlein are playing on every major European facist/colonialist getup. I’m not an expert on historical militarism, but it’s been pointed out to me that the uniforms used reference British, Italian, and German 20th century stuff. Given the Catholic imagery which has little to nothing to do with Nazi Germany, I think it’s all more generi-facist.
In a lot of ways this video is the opposite of Telephone, which had nothing to do with the song and was it’s own story. This video has a far less obvious narrative, because it’s more about the lyrics, which confused me prior to the video, but in light of this and the awesome analytical comments I’ve seen here and all over the web makes me think that yeah, this is straight up about homoerotic masculinity and the dangers of being a woman attracted to that. Which basically means this resonates for me 100% and this vid is my JAM ok.
Thanks :) and thanks for bringing the “generi-facist” stuff to our attention. I think that’s a good point – and interesting perspective. I like this a lot: “ this is straight up about homoerotic masculinity and the dangers of being a woman attracted to that.“
I thought the coffin at the beginning was a great touch! Am i the only one in thinking that maybe it’s a symbolism of herself inside the coffin?….She’s walking in front with a heart on the pillow and i think that could be her own..Trying to show us that this video comes from her heart?..After all wasn’t there a point made that we were going to see her heart and how much she really does care about her views,actions and way of life, not just her own but other people too…
This whole thing is really mind blowing and i love her all the more for it.
So uh…am I the only one who peed a little at how terrifying the very end of this video was? Oh it was just me? I’m just going to go off and never sleep again now.
no i peed a little too.
So uh…am I the only one who peed a little at how terrifying the very end of this video was? Oh it was just me? I’m just going to go off and never sleep again now.
——-
Then it made an impression on you at least..curious though what do you mean by terrifying?..personally for me i loved the whole thing but i’ve enjoyed hearing other people’s views on it even if they are bad..everyone has an opinion right?
Sure, I’ve got a comment: Why is everyone so white? The song is called fucking ALEJANDRO! Don’t say it’s because of Germany or whatever, that makes it even worse.
Hold up, this ISN’T “…Baby One More Time?” Whoops! Wrong chat room.
a/s/l?
Apparently the video in the background is of the Stonewall riots, which does make a lot of sense if you take it as a story of gay male culture.
I saw it as what happens in a super kinky dungeon, just very very stylized. Also: Snow Queen Gaga!
Reading this has made me feel like I’m in my high school English class.
I’ve an English exam tomorrow but this is far more interesting. Here’s stuff I noticed, with barely any intelligent justification for its importance ’cause that’s the hard part.
This video begins in the drinking room setting that we see later with Bono-gaga – everyone’s kinda sitting around, looking chilled out but it’s obvs a military setting. This makes me think of the Telephone videos made by the soldiers in Afghanistan a while ago? Like the fact that this is where it begins makes it seem like the whole video is about soldiers making a music video. idk.
Metropolis-gaga is a vampire? She’s clearly an observer/in-charge-type-person. Also, she observes crosscrotch-gaga doing the stripping with all the guys at the end, appears…shocked? maybe.
Crosscrotch-gaga is wearing these shoes: http://gagadaily.com/fashion/2010/06/lady-gaga-in-voidofcourse/
I have no idea what that film is in the background but it definitely can’t be set any earlier than 1970? That should narrow it down, just search for war/riot movies set post-1975. (jk on the narrow thing).
Pants-gaga and ak47boob-gaga I just don’t know how to place – both seem the most ‘Madonna’, their being so close together in the video certainly isn’t a coincidence in this semi-HOMAGE.
Redleathernun-gaga – she eats a crucifix, is on the bed with that other guy who’s holding a gun at his crotch and both are controlled by strings, she is very satanic-y and he is very soldier/fetish-y…it’s gotta be some comment on sexuality, (nuh, duh).
Underwear-gaga – her bed scenes definitely contrast to those of redleathernun-gaga: where RLN-gaga is controlled by strings/restraints, underwear-gaga is holding the restraint/rope-thing, RLN-gaga is passive, underwear-gaga is active, etc. This is where I have follow through and help by KNOWING what these things I’m saying mean. Gar.
Bono-gaga interests me – this is the part of the video where we see gaga ‘play the musician’, as emphasized by the microphone/stage/lone figure image, the rest of the time the singing and dancing are integrated into the video’s narrative and, thinking along the lines of this video as showing gaga in settings that she’s barred from as a woman, as the jezebel commenter does, could this also be an example of being barred from acceptance in music?
Are there other gagas? Um. Funeral-gaga! – black veil=mourning so she’s affected by the death of whoever is in the coffin. I feel like that heart really does have an A on it – it is Alejandro’s heart? Or it is her heart which she is giving to Alejandro? I don’t know. IDK.
tbh though,I actually know nothing and I made this post entirely to point out the shoes.
Can we all request that her next video be about lesbian culture? I can’t even imagine where she’d start with a pair of converse.
I’d argue that “Telephone” is extremely lesbionic, no? I mean, not in the most entirely overt way, but there’s a WHOLE lot of girl-on-girl/queer subtext/text in that one.
loved this. esp the waldo!
(side note: it’s steven klein! with a V!)
Thanks Allie! Fixed!
Heyyyyy so I totally just registered so I could tell everyone about my feelings!
I think that this video is about how there’s a sort of war on homosexuality nowadays. (I’m hesitant to say “war on homosexuality” because that reminds me of all those right-wingers who whine about how there’s a “war on Christianity” nowadays even though there is NOT and they’re just being WHINY PRIVILEGED LITTLE WHINY WHINERFACES, but I digress.)
In the beginning when she’s overlooking the soldiers, it looks a bit like she’s their general. A general does all they can to help their side win battles, which you can equate to Gaga being a gay rights activist doing all she can to help queers get win by getting equal rights.
Someone who commented before me said that the video in the background was of the Stonewall riots. It seems like everyone who’s been talking about the video thought that it was a war movie. If it’s really of Stonewall then it’s obviously equating violence against gays to war.
The scenes with underwear!Gaga and the beds… A big reason a lot of people are anti-gay is because they keep thinking about the sex aspect of being queer, which they find disgusting. The bed scene is how they imagine gay people: people who care too much about sex (sex is all that’s happening there), who have rough & animalistic sex, who are too open about sex (Gaga’s miming screwing that guy while there are other people in the room because she doesn’t care if they know that she’s sexual).
People who are anti-gay rights tend to use the way gays have sex as a weapon against them–take a look at the documentary on Current (http://current.com/shows/vanguard/ it’s on this page somewhere) as an example. There’s one guy in there who preaches against homosexuality and he ONLY talks about the sex. A lot of gay rights activists try to get people not to think about the sex because of this, instead trying to get others to focus on how gay rights is about love and equality (and I’m not saying that it’s not, just that many queers are very ‘don’t look at the man behind the curtain’ about sex). When Gaga comes out with her rifle-boobs, she’s saying that she’s not going to let them use her own sexuality against her.
Aaand I feel like there’s a lot of the video that I’m missing in this analysis, but I have a final in less than ten minutes and while Gaga owns my heart, I think passing my class is more important. Anyway, I hope my analysis doesn’t sound completely ridiculous.
It doesn’t sound ridiculous at all! I wish I could contribute with something but you’re smarter than me.
I think the heart might be hers. First she is showing all of us her heart, ut did any one think it was two sizes too large? As for the A, it could be she’s holding it out for Alejandro, or it could be some kind of reverse scarlet letter, fitting in with the theme of sexual empowerment.
omgwtfbbqdotjpeg. i pretty much died over this. i have nothing profound really to add to the mix, just want to say thanks for putting the feelings into words and the amazing screenshots of the ak-47’s. rad. to. death.
Been reading the catcher in the rye lately?
I think I’m just stuck a little on reconciling the song itself and its place on the album as the “fear of sex monster” song. Which like…I mean, obviously it really does makes sense in that aspect, fear of sex and fear of gay male sexuality and gay sexuality in general, but I guess I hear the songs from a this a personal fear thing and I’m just taking awhile to switch perspectives, because I did the same thing with Telephone, which eventually made more sense to me. I don’t even know, I need to watch it again when I don’t have the sinus infection from hell.
Rambling aside, the imagery is like…disturbingly beautiful in a really grotesque way. I love love love her for that. I love her for giving us something worth talking about/worth figuring out what the hell she’s trying to do. At least we’re talking about it, right?
WALDO! alex, thank you for waldo.
i liked how her breasts looked really natural (i mean, they are duh) and, when she was dancing, they let them move like breasts do, even!
Also I love anything that reminds me of Bob Fosse (who is obvs one of her influences, at least since Bad Romance). I LOVE BOB FOSSE. i am obviously processing this in parts.
BOB FOSSE FOREVUH: http://snurl.com/x91r1
OH MY FUCKING GOD ALEX i also weirdly happened to really (still) love “walk it out!”
i have no idea what the movie in the background is – and if i had to guess, i’d say it was purpose-produced for the video, since the gentleman with the tragic expression also appears in the first moments – BUT i am pretty sure that one of the many many references being made is to liliana cavani’s The Night Porter, which also features military (explicitly nazi, mostly heterosexual) eroticism, troubling power relationships and doomed love.
here is the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6icfx9OGf2k
given the fact that there are a lot of visual references to the film, i think the backdrop movie might at least refer to a homo-fied version of the Night Porter story, filmed in little implication-loaded snippets with some burning stuff thrown in to make it extra dramatic and Like A Prayer-y.
i’m with you, alex, in that i have no idea what this video is about! and i agree that it is definitely about something. that’s what i like about it though; everyone has a different interpretation and we’re all talking about it. i like that it’s hard to figure out. gaga is making us think, which, i think, is part of what art is all about.
I’m looking forward to the “Gaga is Illuminati!” break-down that those crazies always do. Those articles are one of my favourite things about when she releases a new video. I wear my lollerskates all the way through those.
hahahhaha, I know!!!! I love those too. Youtube commenters gave me my “Gaga is illuminati” fix yesterday.
So I’ve watched this a couple of times now and I’m worried there’s something wrong with me, because I am just not excited by it. I’ve searched deep within me and called down to my inner voice, but all it says is:
I want that bra
I can appreciate how nicely it’s lit and shot, but I think that, in general, military aesthetics just don’t appeal to me (apart from old stylised war posters). But she’s a nun too, and I love nuns! Surely Sister Mary Gaga should get me going, but nothing.
It doesn’t help that I find Alejandro her weakest song since Just Dance, and it’s not a patch on the best Fernando rip-off ever: Angelo!
Alas, I shall retire to my boudoir with a cold compress and half a bottle of cognac until this strange fever passes.
the opening where they are sitting around at tables i realized just now, this whole time I have just thought “oh they’re in Cabaret” like it’s a fucking fact, b/c:
1. cabaret is about germany as it transforms b4 world war ii
2. sally is the woman in a man’s world there, and she has a flapper haircut and no pants
3. the emcee wears fishnets and heels, even though he is a man
4. those are the kinds of tables they have on the set of cabaret in the productions i’ve seen
5. i’m obsessed with cabaret apparently
6. a big underlying thing in cabaret is that most of the men are bisexual and the apple of sally’s eye is the same american guy who’s been with the other male lead who is german and becomes like leader of the nazis.
7. maybe this time is in my head now
bob fosse attack! <3
I really like the commentary on religious fascism. (My Mormon grandmother would just die if she ever heard me say this.) I don’t think people realize how much of a grip it has on certain populations.
I mean, you don’t really hear about it, but I was raised Mormon. I would say about 75% of Mormons are relatively normal people and are quite reasonable, but I happened to be raised in the 25% that was not. (I know the video is about Catholics, but I hope it gets people thinking about religion in general.)
And now, being a flaming gaymo, I’m not really welcomed into my family again. But I digress:
I wish there was more time and money put into researching the effect of religion on people. Most religions meet the sociological requirements for a cult, and then you get all sorts of free will shit tied up in there.
But now, being a flaming gaymo, you are welcomed into *this* family :)
….”the family in my pants I mean”
I think my girlfriend would be upset with me if I took you up on that order.
Also, I would like to amend my statement to about 75% crazy an 25% not crazy. I apparently am not an effective communicator. It would take pages and pages of an essay for me to fully articulate why that is.
Thanks. :)
I love when I read Autostraddle articles and am forced to make a list of things I need to learn. Learning is AWESOME!
The commentary on Catholicism was perf. I was born/raised/went to school in the Catholic church (not like IN the church but you know) from birth until 18 so I was literally screaming at my dogs, “OH MY GOD LOOK AT THIS SYMBOLISM.” They did not care :(
Just piping in to say that Metropolis is fucking awesome (as is M, another Fritz Lang masterpiece) and totally not as boring as other German expressionist films (see: Noserfatu, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari).
Meg for President 2012.
I really liked Nosferatu and it’s the reason I’d like to check out MOAR German expressionist films! So based on what you’re saying, I should like ‘Metropolis’ better. I’m excited.
I saw the video yesterday and let it sink in for 24 hours before speaking an opinion.
I don;t like it. I appreciate it but I don;t like it. While this is would be an amazing short film and artistic piece, in conjunction with the song, which I don;t really care for either, just doesn;t work. This is the most Madonna-esque thing I have seen from Gaga.
I only watched it once and it isnt in my download folder so yeah…
The only thing I really liked is the Man on Man action and gender role reversal in the bed. But that’s only because I have this bucket list..but anyway…
I appreciate your opinion MsNJS :) and with this I have to agree: “This is the most Madonna-esque thing I have seen from Gaga.” You’d think that because she looks so much like her (and knows it too, as per the Larry King interview) that she would sort of avoid these references a little more, yannow? YOU’D THINK.
Yeah this was blatant. I would go out of my way to avoid comparisons.
There is something off putting when someone beats their chest, stomps their feet and yell “I AM SENDING A MESSAGE PAY ATTENTION.” Than if you take a more subtle approach ie. Kylie Minogue-All the Lovers.
I also have issues when the video has absolutely nothing to do with the song. I know most videos don;t but when you have great audio and visual pieces that are cohesive and relevant to each other I just appreciate it so much more, i.e. Paparazzi. Even if Alejandro is a better video, I love and admire Paparazzi so much more..
I liked the end of Bad Romance better. There I said it.
I liked the whole Bad Romance video better. Mostly because of Beyonce’s legs. :/
ok i am not terribly good at finding the hidden mening (kinda dim actually) but when she tweeted (?twat) -“Men are men, are men. A soldier is a soldier”- did anyone else immediately think she was referring to DADT???
A;ex, loved the recap btw
Ooh I didn’t think of that but now I am. Hmmm…
TOM OF FINLAND!! I thought the leather army dudes reminded me of something!
Here’s Tiger Beatdown’s take on it: http://tigerbeatdown.com/2010/06/09/the-day-i-didnt-want-to-write-about-lady-gaga/
“I
Are you a member of the occult elite? Is that an all-seeing ‘I’? I am not your puppet!
[I’m sorry, mind control gets me all tense.]
lol, that was supposed to say:
“I
Oh, forget it. Autostraddle, why does my comment keep getting cut off? *pouts adorably*
this happened to me too before! its the evil apostrophe. autostraddle does not like when i use them. i dont know why, but its true. so now i just go without. even though the bad grammar hurts my brain.
I love you Vega and this recap is why.
What needs to happen right now?
Alex + dancing + Stef + Ukelele
And the first thing I thought of when I saw Gaga dancing in those pants and the haircut and everything was Liza…because I’m that gay.
Re: having to see Metropolis: you’re in luck! Film Forum down on Houston between 6th Avenue and Varick is one of the few places in the country showing the newly released, near-complete version of Metropolis: http://www.filmforum.org/films/metropolis.html
But hurry! It’s ending tomorrow! I am going to try to catch the last show if I can get away from working for The Man (oh, the irony).
(By the way, a bit of history: the original print of Metropolis was essentially edited into oblivion not only because of outrage over its subject matter but also commercial reasons, such as the Americans’ belief that audiences wouldn’t want to sit through a 2.5-hour-long silent film. For decades now, there has been a massive global restoration effort going on to put together the entire film. Kino released a DVD of a restored edition, complete with explanatory title cards for missing scenes, several years ago, but this version has another four scenes that were found. And that ends this tangent from “Alejandro.”)
Get OUT! I’m so mad I didn’t know about this sooner! and I’m subscribed to the Film Forum newsletter. Sigh. Theres no way I can make it tomorrow, I totally missed out! I hope someone else can catch it tomorrow before it ends.
Hey A;ex, all is not lost! I was just going to link you the trailer for Metropolis, which I watched a bit of, when I googled about it the other night, and on the website there is a playdate list with more dates for New York & other US cities-
George Eastman House-Rochester-June 26-27
Cornell Cinema-Ithaca-June 26
Proctors Theatre-Schenectady-Sept 26-27
I have no idea where these are, or even if they are anywhere near you, but hope this helps, here’s the website/trailor anyway-
http://www.kino.com/metropolis/main.html
Mighty fine job on the recaps too!! Thanks for the mention-made my day!!
I know you weren’t replying to me, but thank you for posting this link! Though those are all very, very far away from New York City, they give me hope that this version will open somewhere near me again, by which I mean, no farther than New Jersey. Though, maybe I’ll take a day-trip to Philadelphia (*shudder*) when it opens there.
Hey ur very welcome, I’m from the UK, and I forget that NY is pretty much the size of our fair isles!!
I think the website said they would be posting more dates, so fingers crossed for you!
I so very much enjoyed reading everyones comments through the day. What a pay-off!
After viewing Alejandro again today, my feelings have definitely evolved a bit. I can’t even get into it cause I’m burnt out from writing this last night so umm I’ll pass for now, but I just wanted to say that I really love everyone’s comments and interpretations and overall insight additions to the conversation.
I am overwhelmed with your awesomeness.
So my question is… do I need to make an iPhone background for the “PEWPEW!!”-lazertits-Gaga graphic? Just wondering.
ok so i’m not sure REALLY what to make of this video, but there are million different interpretations of it, and they’re all right in their own way, and i think gaga and steven klein made the video ti purposely allow that to happen
as far as not knowing what the chaos/fire/riot scenes being played in the background are from, i don’t know if it’s part of another movie, or if they were made for this video, but, going along with the nazi/holocaust theme, they immediately made me think of kristallnacht. kristallnacht, for those that don’t know, was this major pogrom by the nazis in november 1938 where they killed a bunch of jews and burned down jewish-owned stores/synagogues/etc. it’s considered by most historians to be the real start of “the final solution” to get rid of the jews.
in one particular sequence towards the end of the video, 7:01 – 7:25, where they show the fire/chaos etc in the background, there is one relatively prominent shot of the soldier wearing the star of david, so this also confirms for me the kristallnacht connection. especially because right after this sequence, it goes back into the “gay military leader, gun bra-wearing gaga” leading her red armband wearing, nazi-uniform clad soldiers in choreographed dance. so during the “kristallnacht” sequence, gaga, on the mic onstage, was calling her soldiers to arms, and then right after that they got together to implement the “final solution” to get rid of the gaga that wants to be with the gay men. that scene segues into the scene of the “gay man-lusting gaga” giving her last effort to be with those men that don’t want her. she is not successful, the “final solution” worked; that gaga died and became the nun gaga who has completely suppressed/ignored her true desires because that’s the easiest way to deal with the fact that she won’t ever get what she wants. and then her face explodes. i’m not really sure what that symbolizes/means…
i know that’s kind of convoluted, but it was hard for me to explain, so i hope i did an ok job. and i know it was a lot of thought/detail on one small and specific part, and could be completely wrong and off, but it really stuck out to me and that’s just what i thought.
i just came here to say that i fucking love super grover. also i don’t know what the hell the video was about except writhing torsos and leather…and i can totally get with that.
“The moment you think you understand a great work of art, it’s dead for you.” -Oscar Wilde
Yay! go gaga! I did notice the reversal of gender roles and love how she’s objectifying men.
Lol, that ‘A’ also remind me of Scarlet Letter we read in English class haha
Steven Klein has spoken! On the meaning of the Alejandro video:
“[It is] about a woman’s desire to resurrect a dead love and who can not face the brutality of her present situation. The pain of living without your true love.”
[Source: http://fuckyeahladygaga.tumblr.com/post/683735597/it-is-about-a-womans-desire-to-resurrect-a ]
I don;t see that. I watched it again and this is what i take from it:
Gaga is on a thrown and separated from this world that she want to be a part of. This all male militarist world or even a gay man world, not women, and wanting to be apart of that world. She wants a penis basically. lol.
Even though she is elevated above them she wants to be like them. She undergoes some sort of ritual and becomes a religious symbol/figure or uses religion to trick them into accepting her. And then they take her, rape her, rape ‘religion’ to manipulate it to serve there purpose and use it as an excuse for violence and corruption. I see it as a comment on the Catholic Church dressed in Nazi-German-Jewish conflict clothes.
That may or may not make sense, just an opinion.
It makes a lot of sense, actually, it is coherent with the Catholic Church’s hatred and discrimination of women. If Gaga really “lives” in this world and has this kind of nightmares, I am so sorry for her! She should just become a lesbian and be done with it already.
Omg I finally read this. And it rocked!!! Vega you did so goooooooooooood. This was awesome. Ps…. I love lady gaga. Pps…. I love love love love love lady gaga. Ppps…. I totally have tickets to see her in July…. Where I will kidnap her and bring her home with me. Just FYI.
Alex, you have really outdone yourself on this one. I FINALLY watched it and just discussed it with Robin for a bit, and I have to agree that it’s really really awesome. Lots of references to stuff I’m totally into (German expressionism especially), so this was right up my alley.
Also: boys in heels.
you know what they need to do for Lady Gaga videos? bring back Pop Up Video but instead staff it with smart witty people like Autostraddle writers. I need moar of this deconstructing and recapping in my life.
The video is from the WHITE NIGHT RIOTS OF 1979 after Harvey Milk was killed.
Perhaps it’s a war documentary showcasing strife between male factions fighting over the same woman. We see the gay side wishing to protect and worship her as a sexless icon while the hetero side wishes to use and claim complete ownership over the same woman. The woman loves them all but is disgusted by their attitudes. She ends up subjugating and tossing away the lot because the gift of a woman’s affection is not either side’s decision to make. It’s sad because men can’t seem to break away from their male attitude of entitlement over women no matter their sexual preference.
Third correction, haha. Her “gun bra” is actually equipped with AR-15 rifle barrels.