Elliot The Bull - Colourblind

This music video opens on a world of small blocks, both light and dark colored. From a light block comes a bull like creature that discovers an ability to create other shapes from the blocks around. This continues until he seems to have build quite an empire. All of the sudden the dark blocks stack up and create a dark bull creature that discovers an ability to break down the block shapes of the light bull. The two struggle against each other and ultimately the dark bull destroys the light.

I think understanding this music video requires one to first take into account the title, colorblind. As a colorblind individual this really struck me. I am often asking just how different my perspective is compared to others. I think a basic reading of this video would show that the light creature is good and loses a battle against the evil dark bull, however this reading disregards the title. If we take color out of the mix and view the two creatures as the same we find one of them changes the things around him and makes buildings and telephone pole shapes, whereas the other bull “fixes” those shapes by returning them to their original state. If read in this way the dark bull becomes a hero, a sort of environmentalist, and the light bull is a capitalist pig exploiting his surroundings for his personal gain. I think the title is the key to understanding this video. I also think the goal of the artist was to make a seemingly simple good vs bad story that can be interpreted in many ways.

            Alternatively yet again these two creatures could represent life and death, neither good nor bad. The light bull creates and the dark bull destroys, not out of anger or malice, simply because all things must end, except death itself. This reading could still lend itself to the title, if we were truly color blind in this situation we would find that the two bulls would appear almost identical, 2 sides of the same coin as it were. I do think it is important for people to realize death is a part of life and it is just as important as anything and not to vilify it.

            Finially after repeated viewing I don’t think this video can have one true interpretation, this is truly a video that can be understood in a great many ways. I often think this is cheap and a way for artists to make statements without really saying anything, however with this video I find that I appreciate its multiple readings. Mostly because it is so easy to see so many different interpretations it can serve to remind people that life is not always black and white, and even when it is black is not always bad and white is not always good.