Director: Johan Renck
Star: David Bowie
MPAA Rating: Not rated
Runtime: 9:59 minutes
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
Recently released by ISO Records, David Bowie’s track “Blackstar” attempts to address truths concerning life after death in a chaotic and morbid manner. Closely accompanied by overdrawn soft-strung instrumental melodies and unclear messages, the music video takes the viewer on a journey into Bowie’s intricate and obscure mind, as it alludes to his very own past and present state.
The music video pulls the viewer through a labyrinth of surreal images, as they are bombarded by ill-omened lyrics. Apart from the never-ending images of erratic twitchy movements from faceless actors, Bowie seems to exult himself to the stature of a prophet; he stands alone with a black book in hand, on it a lone black star, as he slowly parades it side to side as others stand closely in watch.
Initially, I was eager to hear what Bowie had created for his fans, especially after hearing about his recent death. Bowie was never short of surprises, always reinventing himself as well as his music; he was without a doubt one of the most influential musicians of rock, but his recent release lacked his legendary flare and momentum.
The music video left me unimpressed. Though masterfully presented, I was left confused and with a handful of questions. Its enigmatic and haunting nature inevitably muddles Bowie’s intentions, leaving his message unclear and unspoken.
The music video evoked a few religious themes, which have always made me uncomfortable as the music industry has long been referred to what Keith Negus calls “commercial corrupters and manipulators.” It’s this clash of provocative and sensitive ideologies that Bowie incorporates into his music, which created an even greater sense of misrepresentation and even mockery of certain religious parties.
The song featured an eerie soft-strung instrumental melody led by modern jazz saxophonist Donny McCaslin, which astonishingly served as a transitional implement as the viewer is taken scene by scene. Cinematically, “Blackstar” was thrilling, as it was hair-raising. Precise camera play guides the viewer’s eyes as they enter into Bowie’s uniquely conceptual mind. The shots were thought-provoking, and although the clip does stretch, the music video speaks immensely concerning his fears of life after death.
As the track reaches its culminating end, the viewer is left with a barrage of both evocative and suggestive images, which inescapably leaves the viewer with a longing; a desire to comprehend Bowie’s true intent concerning the motive behind his rousing title track “Blackstar.”
Though Bowie’s goodbye video attempted to answer truths about life after death, the video was incredibly difficult to understand, even for Bowie. Nonetheless, the masterful cinematic nature and creative, near enigmatic mindset of Bowie set this video up to be a fitting parting gift between Bowie and his fans.