Mindless violence or something deeper?

Justice’s last two music videos—“D.A.N.C.E.” and “DVNO”—were graphic, fun-filled affairs that were visually engaging, culturally satirical, and just damn fun to watch. With “Stress”, however, the group winds up taking a turn for something much darker.

As you stream it below, you see something that’s very primal and very unpleasant: act after act of mindless, pointless violence. Romain Garvis’ clip features a gang of young hoodlums (all donning jackets with the Justice “cross” logo on it) going about town and destroying bars, throwing tourists cameras away, smashing street performers guitars, hijacking a car and much, much more. It will never get play on MTV, and its violence is tough to swallow: even the one shot at this gang’s come-uppance is foiled after the kids break off from a security guard sneak attack, leaving just one guard to try and stop them ... only to find himself on the floor being kicked repeatedly.

The video ends with the kids torching the car they stole, some of the flame even landing on the videos boom mic operator. They don’t even acknowledge his pain: they soon turn to the camera man, spit on his lense, and after what appears to be a brief struggle, everything turns to black.

Yet the biggest question that lingers after is simply this: what’s the point?

It’s doubtful that a video as well-crafted as this was done simply to provide an unfunny version of Jackass. Instead, given that Justice originated from France, this video could perhaps be seen as an expression of the outrage that the French youth felt during their tumultuous riots a few years back, the ones that shocked and outraged a nation: politicians calling said rioters “scum” and the youth of France returning the sentiment in kind by destorying millions upon millions of dollars worth of property. The “Stress” video could be seen as the youth having bottled up rage, societal resentment brewing in their blood ... and yet not having a single outlet of which to pour their energy. So, the kids in this video take to vandalism, crime, asserting their authority in any/all contexts possible, lapping up their camera-captured spotlight before, ultimately, turning on those who are documenting their accomplishments. Is the implication that such unfocused, unbridled rage will ultimately collapse in on itself, leading to one’s own destruction instead of on exterior, worldly things?

It’s hard to say, and this video does not provide any easy answers. It’s a polarizing clip, but it only goes to show that art of any kind—yes, even big-beat techno—can ignite a serious, pointed discussion.

(Oh, and yeah ... it’s also a great song to boot).

—Evan Sawdey