"Got something to live for. I know that I won't surrender. A warrior of youth. I'm taking over. A shot to a new world order. I am bulletproof." [song lyrics]
Title: Legion of the Black (2012)
Starring: Black Veil Brides
Watch here: http://vimeo.com/73522209
Rating (4/5):
Plot: The film's plot follows a young girl who is a big fan of the band, but no one understands her ("Wretched and Divine") and when she tries to fight back against everyone, she is placed inside a mental hospital ("Lost It All"). The following happens in her mind as she tries to escape. A woman is running from a soldier of the organization called "F.E.A.R." and is caught and killed ("I Am Bulletproof"). Andy, the band's singer, finds her and brings her back to his base camp, where "The Wild Ones" and the "Legion of the Black" hide (also "Lost It All"), and, along with the Legion, cremate her remains ("New Year's Day"). The following night, soldiers of F.E.A.R. kidnap some of the members of the Legion ("Days Are Numbered"). Finally fed up with F.E.A.R, The group rallies together ("Resurrect the Sun"). Meanwhile, someone gives the girl the key to her cell and she escapes to a church ("Overture"). They storm the tower where F.E.A.R. lays and rescue all their captives and defeat F.E.A.R.'s armies and sees the fall of F.E.A.R ("Shadows Die"). There, she becomes a Wild One ("Done for You" and "In the End"). Also, the leader of F.E.A.R, played by Wil Francis, rises up and makes new soldiers, hinting that a sequel could be made. (Source: Wikipedia)
Disclaimer: I am Roman Catholic, so all my opinions are based from my own understanding/ belief/ upbringing. I don't claim to be this huge fan of the band Black Veil Brides because I am afraid of expectations from people. I am in no position to claim that I am an advocate of rock and roll or whatever genre they represent. I am simply just a fan of great music. The band's sound is what got my attention. I stand on my judgment that they are a great band, regardless of their make-up, clothes, language, habits, or whatever reputation people throw at them. Now, if you consider that being a huge fan, so be it. But I do not claim to be otherwise. I do not claim to be someone you don't want me to be. But mind that it's not because I am embarrassed to be one, just in case you're stuck on that page. I simply do not assume so people don't assume. I am very ordinary. I don't have tattoos or piercings or drink or smoke or anything of the same. I don't listen solely to bands, or go to endless concerts, or anything of the same. So if you're telling me that I am, then, not a fan... well whatever dude. Just remember, I did not say that I was.
By the way, I criticize the film, not the entire album (Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones).
Discussion: I enjoy breaking codes and trying to figure out the meaning of the most random of things. And I am glad this movie offered basically that. In the end, I have come up with so many interpretations, so let me share them with you.
Before anything else, let's first determine the common ground between my contrasting thoughts. Firstly, we have the protagonist of the story. This girl who is misunderstood and perhaps neglected, gets sent to a psychiatrist ward for being different. And from there she unleashes her inner self. We see her anger and frustration. But we also see her redemption and survival. Then we're given two worlds. Maybe reality and fiction? Maybe the subconscious and the conscious mind? Or the alter ego and our surface self? Lastly and most obviously, we are given these two sides: the Good and the Bad. And the Good apparently overcoming the Bad. To determine which is which, well, I have come up with the following:
The pro side, which makes Black Veil Brides the heroes of the film. The Prophet, played by Andy Biersack, saves this girl who was killed from the fiction/ subconscious/ alter-ego world and brings her to his group of "saved" people which I assume is the "Legion of the Black". And then we see them, perhaps several days later (?), trying to prepare for "war" over this huge wall of concrete where apparently is the "ward" where our protagonist is being held captive. From there, the Legion tries to break free and defeat "FEAR" who is represented by this dude who has this really deep voice, and speaks words that makes me cringe. FEAR then would be categorized as the leader of the Bad side. After a series of camera tilts and lighting, the Good defeated the Bad, and sings their glory at the "chapel". In this same scene, we see the protagonist praying and perhaps asking for redemption for being, I guess, different? (Because seriously, wtf is wrong with her anyway?)
The chapel part is the confusing part, and that's when I realized two possibilities. And on the pro case. It could mean that the band (Black Veil Brides), representing... who?... God? Yeah, I doubt anyone from the band wouldn't agree to play the part. So I guess let's call them the "Saviors" then. So we see the band playing at the altar of the chapel after defeating the Bad. This could literally mean that being the Saviors, they are literally answering the protagonist's prayers. And then she breaks free and leaves the ward, only to realize that it opens to her fiction/ subconscious/ alter-ego world... And then she gets killed again. That part could mean anything in the world. But I see a cycle. And I conclude that all along, everything happens in the protagonist's imagination. What she becomes and how she wanted to become depends entirely on her choices. And no matter how she rolls back over and over again, remember that the "Saviors" are always there to save her, because in the end, the FEAR never really goes away. It just gets reborn in a different form as we mature and grow older, just like what happened in the end of the film, with FEAR rising up to rewrite another misery.
Moving on from that, here's my second interpretation. We see scary stuff, and inverted stars, and so much black. And goodness it was confusing as hell. Not to mention the band possibly "disrespecting" the church by singing at the altar. As simple as that.
Then we have the unsure which side to choose so settle for the direct meaning instead side. Here we basically see the same prospect in terms of the Good overcoming the Bad, but none of the weird interpretations I just explained. We see the protagonist encountering the same dilemma, and then we see her freaking out, and the rest is the band trying to be creative so they made up the fiction/ subconscious/ alter-ego world. However in the end, like most horror movies end, it's an open ending... and we realize that the Bad wasn't defeated after all. And then we start considering a sequel.
Obviously, since the pro one is the cooler one, I then choose that. Yeah I've made up my mind already, I just wanted you to read everything, and perhaps let you know that I am not blinded of my "liking" of the band. Yes, I see it all. I just chose not to pay attention, because after all, I'd just stress myself out.
Overall, I really loved the critical thinking this film allowed me to have. And since I chose the pro side, let's just say I then appreciated everything. The concept, the costume, the production, the music, the band, etc. Everything fit well. I love concept albums like this! It may be a dark themed filmed, but one cannot deny that (to quote author NK Jemisin), "It is important to appreciate beauty, even when it is evil." I just hoped the band's characters were maximized. Looking back, I think I only saw the Prophet (Andy) and the Destroyer (CC) utilize their roles.
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