M83 - WAIT
- Directed by Fleur & Manu -
The last video of Fleur & Manu’s staggering Trilogy for M83 immerses us into an adventurous journey of the downfall of humanity and rebirth of a new world. Throughout the video, Fleur & Manu visually quote Kubrik’s cinematic classic “Space Odyssey: 2001” and draw inspiration from Terrence Malick’s stunning “Tree of Life.”
We are propelled far away from the Earth into a vivid universe, where we discover our protagonists dormant in a fetal position, floating in black, extraterrestrial tetrahedrons. The light-reflecting tetrahedrons remind of the monolith in “A Space Odyssey: 2001”, which equally serves to indicate the conception and resurrection of life and enables time travel to another dimension. Thus, the Triquetra knot motif recurs in the third part of the sequel, illustrating life, death and rebirth through the three forces of nature.
The frame cuts to planet earth, where human hate, anger and chaos are the catalysts for destruction. The impetus for the destruction is our main antagonist, the telepathic girl, who is now freely roaming around her territory inducing havoc and thereby gaining power. The frame of the girl walking through the dusty, apocalyptic setting brimming with violence and blood is intercut with images of animals of prey. These animals appear to be under the control of the girl as depicted by the wolves, which are magnetically drawn to her. Referencing another Japanese manga named “Princess Mononoke”, the telepathic girl is illustrated with great similarities to the Princess. Princess Mononoke is a human girl raised by wolves, who resents humankind and lives in the forest with the Forest Spirit. Similarly, the telepathic girl is driven by the hate for mankind and eventually governs the forest in royal clothing.
Ultimately, the chaos initiated through anger and hate propels the demolition of all life on earth. This is portrayed through the initiation of an explosion, which resembles that of a meteor hitting the earth upon the extinction of the dinosaurs, or the Big Bang, which molds the universe. However, in this instance, it appears the explosion is created through the growth of hate in the world rather than through an accidental occurrence. Humanity destroys itself rather than being destroyed and thereafter a new dimension is created.
An explosion closely resembling that in the video additionally appears in “Akira” and the “Tree of Life”, both of which signify a new beginning through destruction. The “Tree of Life” depicts the birth and rebirth of living species as a meteor hits the earth causing a tsunami, which eliminates the dinosaurs. Similarly, in “Akira,” Tetsuo initiates a Big Bang in another dimension, enabling him to come to full control of his powers. Subsequently, an ocean fills the void of the destroyed Neo-Tokyo. The religious symbolism of M83’s previous two music videos in the sequel comes into play in this scene. Upon recalling the questions asked in the “Tree of Life” (“who are we to you?”), the essence that God plays a part in our destruction, creation and rebirth is revisited.
The destruction of the earth is followed by the creation of a new world in another dimension, in which the telepathic girl is a powerful leader. As she walks through an endless desert, we encounter the elements of life, illustrated earlier through the religious connotations of the Triquetra knot. The trinity of earth, water and air are combined, as the telepathic girl digs her fingers into the dry, barren ground. This image is contrasted by the image of water – the source of life – dripping onto a human tongue. Thereby, destruction and recreation are symbolically depicted. Life spurts with the first drop of water as we observe a close-up expansion of a pupil (again reminding of the Big Bang). A blood-like substance begins to run through the veins of the earth.
As the frame dollies out from the girl sitting on the sand, her black robe appears to form a triangular shape. This image, despite perhaps being accidental, reminds me of the omniscience of the Illuminati and of the Triquetra knot. With this assumption, the telepathic girl is portrayed as the all-knowing leader in control of the creation of the new world.
Upon awakening to a bright light force streaming in from outer space, our protagonists’ tetrahedrons are magnetically drawn into a new dimension as they travel at the speed of light. The frames in this scene are directly borrowed from Stanley Kubrik’s epic portrayal of time travel in “A Space Odyssey: 2001.” It is worthy to note that the animator who created the famous sequence in Kubrik’s film is the same one, who developed the sequence for Fleur & Manu.
With the bleeding of the boy’s nose, his flesh and blood are reborn in the new universe, which explodes with a flash of light in front of him. Resembling Malick’s “Tree of Life,” life erupts out of the darkness and the sun channels the atmosphere, weather, seas, sands and plants. Blood begins to flow through the veins and arteries of beating hearts and single cells expand into complex organisms. Oceans and forests fill the void of what was previously destroyed.
Just like Princess Mononoke, the abolishment of mankind and the establishment of a new world, enables the telepathic girl to find peace in the tranquility of nature as she overlooks her newly built kingdom. As the boy falls through space and hits the ground, it can only be assumed that through his death he is reborn into the new world, which has been created by the girl.
