M.I.A.'s Violent "Born Free" Video: Not For The Faint Of Heart Or Feeble Of Mind
M.I.A., the daughter of a Sri Lankan Tamil militant sympathizer, a very vocal activist herself, and a lightning-rod artist who was once banned from entering the U.S., has never shied away from controversial imagery or strong political messages in her career. But in her graphically violent new nine-minute video for "Born Free," she takes her messaging to a shocking new level.
The new Romain Gavras-directed mini-movie is in fact so disturbing, we will not show it here, or even link out to it. But it's out there, including on YouTube (for now) and M.I.A.'s own website, and if you aren't too faint of heart, stomach, or mind, you should definitely seek it out. Unlike much of the pop-culture violence seen today in video games, "Saw" movies, and rap videos, the bloodshed in "Born Free" is not gratuitous; it actually makes a gruesome but important statement about war, genocide, and police brutality. The video's ultimate intention is not to titillate or offend, but to provoke discussion and debate.
The vérité-style video depicts members of a minority group being rounded up by U.S. soldiers (controversially brandishing a stars-and-stripes flag) and carted off to a concentration camp in the desert; there, these marginalized victims are viciously beaten, chased when they try to escape, and, in the grisly case of one terrified young boy, shot in the skull. (And yes, the shooting is depicted in unflinching, horrifically realistic detail. You have been warned.) It's all extremely difficult to watch, and yet it's almost as difficult to look away, because the message behind the violent imagery is so real and so intense.
Rendering the whole production even more surreal is the "minority" group used to metaphorically depict such brutality that occurs all over the world (including in America): red-haired males. Perhaps redheads don't really receive such appalling treatment nowadays (except on the "Kick A Ginger" episode of "South Park"), but in real life many other minorities tragically do--and this video vividly drives that point home, without specifically singling out any one army, ethnic group, or country.
It's definitely a strong statement from any artist, particularly from one signed to a major label (Interscope) who also happens to be the daughter-in-law of Edgar Bronfman Jr., the CEO of Warner Music Group, who some might refer to as The Man. Kudos to M.I.A. for her continued bravery and political outspokenness in her art, regardless of whatever flak she may receive.
Source
http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/vi...not-for-the-faint-of-heart-or-feeble-of-mind/
Video On
http://www.miauk.com/
Hoda Wadey .. She needs Learn A Lesson...We Need to find Bornfree Video's and Report them... Youtube Already Banned Them ...
