The video starts off instantaneously with a giant American flag being shown in varying degrees of light, the sequence continues along with the drum beat in short close up shots to show all members of the band including the gas masked drummer. This introduction is key to the piece as it sets what the content is straight away, the American flag and the gas masked drummer suggesting the the video could be attempting to express the atrocities of unjust war involving American Government; something that System of a Down feel strongly about which they show through their damning lyrics about American politics
After the initial sequence there is a long shot (could be interpreted as an establishing shot) of the whole band playing their various instruments and singing; bouncing up and down to the beat in a live performance style. Then the camera is used to show chiaroscuro shots the lead singer Serj Tankian in various visuals, including low angle and close up shots that allow the audience to connect with him. The shots are broken up with flashes of blinding white light, causing the audience to feel somewhat disoriented with what could be happening, this disorientation is further qualified by the randomness of camera angles; which do not necessarily fit the traditional conventions. Following the establishment of the vocalist in the video, a long diagonal angled shot appears of lines of men marching through a subway station in a militaristic fashion conveying further references to warfare, this shot is used twice in the same sequence however the second shot is flipped horizontally perhaps to express the two sides of war; glory and loss.
Close up shots of instruments are used frequently throughout the next few sequences along with the band dancing around the stage in a strange manner, this style is used many times throughout the bands videos as to make a cross reference to their almost insane music and weird sense of humor. Subsequently there is then a extreme close up of front man Tankian looking thoughtfully around the stage before a man appears in full army uniform miming the words to the song. This short shot is then followed with various different camera angles of Tankian singing/dancing about on stage before switching back to a video of a marching army and the Army General in ripped uniform surrounded by fire; again portraying the two sides to war through an objective figure.
The video then takes a turn from criticising the aspect of warfare and its atrocities the the general factors of obscenity and indecency in modern culture.Various shots are used of strippers and three men who are portrayed as tyrannical businessmen; suited and carrying briefcases. These shots are again split by the blinding flashes into various sequences that include the band in them playing the song. The seeming indecencies of the stripper and the businessmen are once again miming the track and similar to the Army General, are returned to only to be seen on fire in ripped clothing. This again allows us as an audience to see that the band are attempting to express the atrocities of daily life in this modern world. Following this is a large sequence of the band playing the chorus of the song. The same sort of angles are used throughout this section as were seen on the first, showing that although the video is set to a hyper strange style; the camera angles are organised very much the same thoughout. This could also refer to the ongoing theme of there being two sides to modern culture.
Other strange sequences throughout the video show a revolving pie with the text "Aspartame Kills"overlapping. Aspartame is the scientific name for E-Numbers. The text here is very important in deciphering the subliminal message that System of a Down were attempting to convey, that the disorder such as pornography(stripper) and money(businessmen) are sweet, yet can have huge negative effects on our society as a whole. This is once again backed up when a shot of an old women reveals a gun from her handbag, showing that the Innocent are the ones who are affected by the atrocious negligence of society and warfare in general.
The ending of the video is itself a summery of my suspicions about what System of a Down are trying to show. A close up of Tankian praying followed by a series of disturbing images including hangings, public violence, fire and men dying in battle; all of which are shown in fast cutting with flashes and shots of the band playing the song over the top of the destruction. These shots are ended suddenly along with the song as the penultimate shot portrays an atomic bomb exploding. This in essence combines all the themes that the band show throughout the video, and that the injustice that they portray will in the end destroy the world.It is an opinionated video from the bands view. It is their gripe at the world and what they feel will be the end of us and this video is the perfect way to express their views to a wide audience.
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