Justice - Stress

It's not all about the very latest videos and artwork here at We Take Control. If the content is right, then its going in. This is why todays offering is a video for a music track by Justice, which was released in 2007. The video is directed by Romain Gavras who is making frequent appearances in the media for shock tactics. Stress is not only my favorite video from Romain Gavras , but one of my favorite music videos of all-time. Before you watch the video I need to mention that some people may be offended by it and that it was banned from the tellybox [for all the wrong reasons]. The content [or lack of] has already been documented all over the internet, so i'm not going to dig too deep.


I find this video fascinating. Shot like a documentary and using the good ol' shakey-hand cam we follow a day in the life of a street gang member. The gang seem like they could have been lifted straight from cult film The Warriors and the film seems to reference this on more than one occasion.  The production is absolutely stunning to look at. The de-saturated colour-correction giving a very moody, urban feel throughout. There are also a lot of different shots and compositions used and we are constantly dragged from long chase shots to tight, sometimes unrecognizably close edits. A lot of the transitions use blurred zooms which constantly flicker in and out of focus and the depth of field is used superbly. Then there is the feel of the production. It's uncomfortably realistic to watch. Visceral and primeval acts of violence in a very contemporary setting. It's so close to home that it makes you wonder if your loved ones are really safe out on the streets. Were people actually terrorized for the sake of art? Lastly, I would just like to mention the sound. I'm not here to review music, but the punishing and relentless Justice soundtrack, the ambient sound of the city and the screams of the citizens within it all combine with the visuals to make [in my humble opinion] a truly remarkable piece of art!

enjoy..