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Justify My Love (video)

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Justify My Love was the first ever VHS video single to be released by American singer Madonna. This was the first time an artist had released a single in this format. It was released by Sire Records and Warner Music Vision, to capitalize on the controversy surrounding the music video which was subsequently banned by MTV. It contained the highly controversial and sexual charged video.[1]

On December 3, 1990, ABC's Nightline played the video in its entirety, then interviewed Madonna live about the video's sexual content and censorship. When asked whether she stood to make more money selling the video than airing it on MTV, she shrugged and answered, "Yeah, so? Lucky me." She also mentioned that the banning was hypocritical as male artists were able to show music videos on the channel which contained sexist and violent imagery. She also mentioned that in her "Vogue" music video she had worn a see-through lace top which exposed her breasts, but this was passed by the channel.[2][3]

The video contained imagery of Sadomasochism, Voyeurism and Bisexuality. Madonna biographer, Mark Bego commented that "Throwing a scandal Madonna's way is like throwing gasoline on a fire." The controversy turned out to be a publicity and financial coup, with the single spending two consecutive weeks at no. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 in early 1991.[4]

Formats

Released on VHS only, the packaging in North America was a plain black slip cover with a sticker around it, so that it resembled a "seedy video". In Europe it was given the full cover artwork treatment and they also included a bonus video of Madonna's performance of "Vogue" at the 1990 MTV Music Video Awards, which was ironic as MTV had banned the title track. In the UK, the video was given an "18" certificate by the BBFC meaning no one under that age could buy or see the release.[5]

The video was filmed in grainy black and white in the style of a 1960s European art film. There are also several shadowy film-noir elements such as characters seen only in silhouette. (Much of the imagery echoes an obscure French music video that came out in 1988.) The action takes place in an elegant hotel that apparently caters to alternate lifestyle couples. Madonna (or the character she's playing) enters looking tired and distressed as she walks down the hallway toward her room. There she has a romantic fling with a mysterious man. Some of the doors to the other rooms are ajar and we catch glimpses of various couples cavorting in BDSM fetish outfits (leather, latex bodysuits, and corsets).

In a dream-like sequence, Madonna rolls around in bed wearing skimpy lace underwear while various figures come and go. The only nudity (which led to the video being banned) occurs when a topless dominatrix-type woman — suspenders partly covering her breasts — appears and roughly grabs a bound man (the same man who is with Madonna) by the hair. Her outfit, which includes a peaked leather hat and black gloves, copies the iconic ensemble worn by Charlotte Rampling in the controversial film The Night Porter. (Both the film and the video share elements of sadomasochism.) The theme of androgyny is also briefly alluded to when a woman who closely resembles Madonna's lover is seen in men's clothing with a drawn-on pencil mustache. The overall presentation is surreal and deliberately ambiguous. The retinue of strange characters may be real or simply fantasies from Madonna's imagination. In the end, a rejuvenated Madonna rushes out of the hotel room smiling and laughing.

The music video was released on DVD for the first time on the greatest hits package Celebration: The Video Collection in 2009. This version of the video was censored with black bars in a scene that contains female nudity.

Track listing

  1. "Justify My Love"
  2. "Vogue" (from 1990 MTV Video Music Awards) 1

1only appears on the European version, the US only includes one video track.

Production credits

  • Director: Jean-Baptiste Mondino
  • Producer: Philippe Dupuis-Mendel
  • Director of Photography: Pascal Lebegue
  • Production Company: Bandits (a co-production with Propaganda Films)

References

  1. ^ http://www.goodentrepreneur.com/Knowledge/Features/Five-key-dimensions-for-successful-entrepreneurs-Lessons-from-Madonna
  2. ^ Interviewer: Forrest Sawyer (1990-12-03). "Nightline". ABC. {{cite episode}}: Missing or empty |series= (help); Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help) Video on YouTube. Retrieved on 2008-12-26.
  3. ^ http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,285759,00.html
  4. ^ http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,285759,00.html
  5. ^ BBFC.co.uk Madonna Justify My Love
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