Unique, poetic, unusual, avant-garde, somewhat revolutionary

With Derek Jarman, it was all about art: his visuals, his poetry and audiences had to grasp to whatever he was presenting through his films or music videos.  With The Smiths, it was all about expressing themselves in a sometimes crude yet poetic way, a sound louder than bombs (sorry had to use it) followed by  melancholic, truthful and meaningful lyrics. Combine to those two artists from the 1980's and you get a confusing yet effective mixture that isn't designed  to cause appeal or sensation as 1980's videos were inclined to present. "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" is anything and something else.    Mr. Jarman doesn't present the band except through audio, sound, melody and lyrics, beautifully transmitted by the genius and the wonderful voice of Morrissey. Images creating a sensation that only creates more mystery than connection with the sad song. A palette of reduced colors, superimposed images revolving one guy, then one  girl, the movements of a grass field while the words describe the need of wanting to be taken home tonight or how pleasureable and honorable would be the notion that  if the narrator and the person next to him would be die after being hit by a double-decked bus or a ten-ton truck. The only thing alligned between both artists is  the sensation of loneliness, a colorless world, cold and without much movement...or at least, that's how I visualize what Morrissey is writing and singing. Obviously, they  never went big in America with videos like that but I've always admired the style, the challenge, the kick in the eye (or giving the finger, if you prefer) to the then  mainstream big heads and their means to sell hits instead of selling good music and thoughtful videos. That was awesome but also a slow career suicide - the band didn't last  long but they were big enough to get the proper recognition (Morrissey went solo, Johnny Marr was part of several projects).    The joining of forces between Jarman and Smiths went on with other videos, the artistic delirium in "The Queen is Dead", the weird "Panic" and the more conventional and cute  treaty on shyness in "Ask". A more thoughtful review I wrote here was in "The Queen is Dead", a video compilation about those three videos ("Ask" is not included, somehow), with more background. I could  never despite an anti-establishment music group neither one of my favorite filmmakers of all time, the underrated Mr. Jarman. Their idea and concepts was to capture  audiences minds, not by simply explaining what they were seeing or hearing but it was far more important to create poetry, to make them imagine whatever they wanted,  there's some boundaries but for the most part it's a free reign. That's rare to be done, rare to be accepted but there's always admirers. It's not getting higher  note from me because this particular song is too strong for me and my video idea for it would be a mixture of classic 1960's Brit films which Moz love it. Sure, Jarman  wouldn't be involved, it'd be editing of older films and that wouldn't be so good...but it's the way I imagined. No complaints about the final result though. 8/10

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Prince and Apollonia Kotero in Purple Rain (1984)

The Smiths: There Is a Light That Never Goes Out

An avant-garde music video filled mysterious superimposed images, obscure moments and little use of colors designed to create an artistic view on viewers and listeners of the great poets of the 1980's, this classic short was directed by a master in such craft, art-house director Derek Jarman (of "Caravaggio" and "Sebastiane" fame) - who went on to directed several clips for The Smiths.

The Smiths: There Is a Light That Never Goes Out (1986)

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The Smiths: There Is a Light That Never Goes Out

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