The montage techniques of Bruce Conner are here brought to bear on a music video for the English band Idles. Theo Watkins has compiled footage in order to examine toxic male systems. This is similar to how Conner compiled imagery, for example in his films for Devo ("Mongoloid", 1978) and Brian Eno / David Byrne ("Mea Culpa", 1981 and "America is Waiting", 1982).
Watkins also uses the direct film technique of scratching in order to obscure individual identity. This creates a tension between what might normatively be considered individual activities and the social conditioning that leads to these displays. Compare the use of this technique to Kenneth Anger's "Fireworks" (1946).
For the middle eight, footage from CCTV cameras replace the archival clips, demonstrating the continuity of male violence between generations. For the climax a fast pace of edits is used to montage war footage, expanding the scope in a similar manner to the second half of Conner's "Report" (1963–67).
Watkins has subsequently made two very different videos for Idles. Check out his website.
