Carnival of Rust: An analysis of genius!

(video is Carnival Of Rust, by Poets of the Fall.)

Now, first watch the video above, and then read the following before watching it again.

(Note: the Following was written for the director of a new musical of "Pilgrims Progress". I wanted to give her my vision for some aspects of a scene called "Vanity Fair" in which Christian is led through a group of Manikins. who are the faces of an empty society. They Want Christian to give up the journey, and join the numbers of masks who were living a lie.)

Here are the things that you should notice in the video.

1st, notice that his video looks weird and meaningless when you first watch it, but it has many symbols and themes that are totally beyond anything you've ever seen (or at least I have ever seen.).

2nd, pay close attention to the make-up of the box man. It's a white, expressionless mask. It's failing its purpose to mask the age, and peeling from age and deterioration. Notice how he seems to carry emotion, yet his eyes are blank and empty, shallow and dead. And yet he still seems comforting and passionate (also note that his words are pretty meaningless, but he says them with great passion--he is enticing but you soon realize that he has nothing to tell you but the pitiful state of his carnival of rust).

3rd: the Cellists. This is fascinating because--as you realize when you look closely--they each have only one arm. They are drawing their bows across their instrument like robots, like that's all they've ever done. Just like the box-man, their faces are empty, covered in a pasty white mask that still seems fresh, but you can see there is nothing there. They are empty, shallow, and misleading. They seem to play a magical tune, but no music is heard, only screaches and whines. They are no longer human, or able to feel emotion. They've been so enveloped by this mask of society, being an attraction, and wanting to be watched and observed. But their story is long dissipated, now they are wasted and empty.

4th, the girl. She is like Christian: curious, like Christian and Faithful. They've discovered an unexpected carnival, and it seems to hold a treasure. The Doll. It's a symbol of all the carnival can offer. To the girl it looks wonderful, beautiful, and their "savvy words" encourage her to use what little riches she has to gain this "treasure". She first wants to hear the man in the box. She hopes she can find some nugget of truth from him. He speaks many words, but they are meaningless. They talk of what the carnival once was when it had life, when it had Christ (through a biblical mindset on it). But the life and energy the carnival once had was gone. The carnival had left Christ for the world, something that promised endless joy. Now the joy and laughter is gone, and all that is left is an empty aged carcass in a glass cage. Trapped for eternity, only to tell with empty hearts of what once was. For without Christ, this carnival is built of decay and mold. It's a carnival of rust.

5th, the doll itself seems to symbolize the only promise they now have to offer. A bit of fleeting beauty, that when taken out into the practical world is useless. Just a trifle and a trinket. Worth nothing. At the end you can see the girl going back into the world of darkness. All her riches are wasted, poured into empty things, and all she has to show for it is a fake beauty in the form of a doll. At the end she looks back to see the little print-out that the box man has given, the only thing he can give. But her body language says that she knows it's worthless.

6^th, the Mask. The gas mask which the girl has on her face represents her naivety (at least in my mind). With it on, her view is constricted, and her sense are blocked. She is unable to breath, taste, and smell the decay correctly because of the mask. It blinds her in a sense, and leaves her open to harm. She even gets a big lollipop, but then realizes that was a waste, as her naiveté is keeping her from enjoying it, she cannot even eat it. Keeping her from being tainted by whatever bitter sweet promise the lollipop holds. She dumps it in the hat with a coin for the cellists.

7^th, the circle. It's everywhere in the video. The hats, the rides, the organization of the stalls. No matter which part you start at in the circles, you end up right where you began. They never end. Every ride in the background is some sort of circular ride. They spin, taking you on a journey that takes you no where. They make you feel as if you were traveling, but it's a lie. The ride she goes on, it turns and turns, but it will end right where she got on. Another wasted coin, or another worthless promise.

8^th, the tattoo, and the carnival hands. The tattoo is what is written all over their hearts, but as you can see, what is written on them, is hardly what is there. The man with the tattoo is ugly, decrepit, and tainted. He no longer even looks normal in human terms. The carnival hands (or side men) are all calling attention to the lie of the doll and their faces say excitement, but their eyes say malice and deceit.

9^th, the last coin. The booth vendor looks at the coin as if it's another win for the carnival, another peddler given to poverty. And tosses it into the register, like so many coins before it. It's just another coin in the tray for him.

10^th, the lizard and the fire eaters. This part was a little vague to me. But a friend brought this verse to my attention:

Psalm 11:5-7 (English Standard Version)
5The LORD tests the righteous,
but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.
6Let him rain coals on the wicked;
fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.
7For the LORD is righteous;he loves righteous deeds;
the upright shall behold his face.

Just another worthless attraction at the carnival. Another chance to waste money to see oddities eat a substance that may consume them in death. But they do it freely, and eat of the fire like it is candy. Almost unaware of the danger it contains. The lizard may be evil. Lurking in the corners and out of the picture, but in clear focus. Slithering and vile, waiting for it's prey. Waiting for the fire eaters to be consumed by their own foolish passions.

11th, the music. Notice the note it ends on, it's like it doesn't want to end, and if you loop the video, it flows perfectly. but when it ends, you want it to keep going. The note makes you feel like you were in the middle of a tale, and then there was "...". It's empty, circular. Like it goes nowhere.

I hope that helps you see where I'm coming from when watching this video. I think it's a very symbolic music video, and surely the best I've ever seen. Without it, the song means nothing. But pay attention to its contrast and similarities to the vanity fair. It's a carnival of vanity, it has vanity to offer, but it's empty. And only attempts to mask the soul decay.

Now: watch the whole video again. But now instead of being bizarre, and disturbing. The video makes perfect sense.