Video Vanguard: Radiohead Does Nihilism 'Just' Right
In the music video for “Just,” a single off of their sophomore album The Bends, Radiohead’s cynicism elicits an unforgettable precariousness towards the point of — well — everything.
Written by Charlotte Keene
Illustrated by Sidd Mayekar
Gone are the days of MTV music videos. The channel was born in August 1981, hit its prime in the ‘80s and ‘90s, and eventually fell off in the 2000s when it shifted towards creating TV show content rather than video publicity. Though MTV was imperfect, it single-handedly energized the video art form and its inevitable downfall when it prioritized other types of media. People may first associate “Thriller” or “Smells Like Teen Spirit” for its popularity, but it is Radiohead’s “Just” that exemplifies the simplistic nuance of the classic music video.
Like many musicians, vocalist Thom Yorke took inspiration from real life. The lyrics were based on Yorke’s narcissistic friend. With the music video, the meaning spirals into a nihilistic view of society out of fear of not being accepted. The “he” that is referred to in the lyrics is essentially that voice in the back of the protagonist’s head, the idea that we are our own worst enemy.
Director Jamie Thraves plays with this. In the context of MTV’s cultural impact and in comparison to today’s style, “Just” embodies pessimism and hopelessness without putting the words in your mouth. It comes at no surprise that he adapted the idea as if it were a short film, considering his experience with feature lengths. He told The Independent that he avoids a distinctive style out of limitation, but he is definitely known for his creative approach to videos like Coldplay’s “The Scientist.” According to Thraves, his work with Radiohead is his most successful, and for good reason. Thraves wanted to convey a story unlike other videos of the time. The director drove this home with the use of subtitles. The narrative is interspersed with shots of the band performing the music, but it acts as a score to the plot that unfolds. This originality ended up earning a nomination for Best Breakthrough Video in ‘96.
A man is shown going about his morning routine, but the bathroom seems empty: there is a hollowness as he stares at his tub. That’s when the music starts. The scene cuts to Thom Yorke walking away from an apartment window. The man sits back in his tub and leaves for his job as Yorke sings animatedly. Yorke eases into the volume but his facial expression indicates an intense concentration that matches the rest of the band members. The man seems to behave as if he were going to work like any other day.. The protagonist is in a suit — he must have somewhere to be. But suddenly, he sees something, or perhaps a realization clicks in his head. Either way, it stops him dead in his tracks. When the camera cuts back to him, he is consciously lying on the ground near the apartment, and remains there for the rest of the video.
Another professionally dressed man trips over the protagonist and begins a conversation with him. Yorke walks towards the window as he continues singing and witnesses their interaction. The man lying on the ground wants to be left alone, but the other man is perplexed by his behavior, questioning him exhaustively. He’s upset. He must have been drinking! Why else would he be on the ground, doing absolutely nothing? Shouldn’t he be doing something productive with his life? The man who stumbled upon him is not angry, but confused because the protagonist’s behavior contradicts his fundamental beliefs. Everyone serves as a cog in the machine, but this man refuses to take part. Why? The inquisitive man’s anger morphs into concern. His unintended act of rebellion begins to draw a crowd, all of them in formal attire.
The characters’ clothes stand out because it symbolizes what we imagine to be “productive” members of society. These people dress like they have somewhere to be — their time is valuable. They exemplify the status quo. The impact of rebelliousness is larger when someone who appears to fit deviates from the norm because outsiders expect them to enforce social rules. After all, doing so benefits those individuals. With that in mind, the interaction in the video illustrates a paradigm shift.
Photo courtesy of Trinity Mirror
In this capitalist, toxically diligent society, these people have something to lose. Nihilism is expected among people who condemn the norm — their life lacks what is deemed valuable. This man in the suit, however, appears to have a conventional life, as he is presented as a put-together middle-aged white man in 1990s Britain. This is why the initial person who comes across his purposeful catatonia is angry. The man on the ground makes him wonder why he is dissatisfied with a socially acceptable life. Witnessing someone of similar circumstances reject their life would force him to question the value of his own, the value of which is founded on the persuasion that being a respectable member of society is the ultimate goal. The problem with following the status quo is that you never assign your own worth; it is chosen for you. When meaningfulness gets called into question, you have no reason to believe life had any in the first place because you never based those claims on evidence. It’s a “because I said so” situation. And succumbing to that realization can be earth-shattering — perhaps enough to lead somebody to reject everything they know to lie on the pavement.
The man refuses to tell the crowd what’s wrong, worried it may debilitate them as it has himself. A police officer intervenes. They push him to tell them why he is motionless; they refuse to listen to his persistent denial. The inquisitive man assumes it is a case of existential cynicism, but the protagonist says it isn’t. Even the officer has gotten impatient at this point. The main character vows to tell them, but fears the consequences of this effort. The subtitles read: “I'll tell you why I'm lying here. But God forgive me... And God help us all. Because you don't know what you ask of me.”
The shots continuously shift between the band and the crowd, showing the members playing with a ferocity mirroring the anticipation. A whiny, chaotic guitar solo builds the anticipation for the information to come. The story arc reaches its peak. He finally tells them, however, the subtitles have vanished. With a cut to the band, they have stopped playing to witness the scene. Outside, we see the man speaking, but with no audio or words it is unclear what he said. The crowd, befuddled and almost captious, joins the man. The guitar in its racket has reached its limit and it seems so have they. Dozens of people lay on the ground, unblinking, as the camera pans. We may be unaware of what truth caused this, but we can be certain it must be momentous.
Although “Just” first aired on MTV on October 10, 1995, theories about the ending still circulate today. However, this video would arguably lose its significance if the answer were revealed. Like Thraves said, “my revelation would never satisfy people's expectations no matter how great an idea it is and ultimately the truth would destroy the myth of the video.” This is because the crowd depicted is meant to resemble us, the viewers, and Thraves is the man. He tells us we cannot handle the answer, and yet we still remain curious two decades later. Deep down, we all like to fill in the blank. But it does make you wonder, if the words were revealed to viewers, would you join them?