Damn the Man, Analyze the Empire: Two Critical Perspectives of Empire Records

A film that has been a favorite of mine since my tweens is Empire Records. It is the sort of film which young audiences enjoy watching, quoting, and possibly mimicking, but mature adults often frown and say, "I don't get it." Now that I've grown and matured, at least a little, I will take another look at the film that entered my life about twelve years ago.

Semiotic Analysis:

The film Empire Records is full of symbols which relate directly to the culture is was made during. There is a slight "MTV" feel to both its setting and editing. Several images with float in and out of screen as the acting continues in the foreground. In the ten minute clip I have posted, there are several symbols that pop up for a second or two or longer. One symbol is the black and white dog with its head cocked to the side. This is very similar to the dog on the HMV music label (His Master's Voice). This ties into the central theme of the movie; music is a necessary part of life. Also edited into the film is a short montage of images that is very reminiscent of a music video. This montage includes a pretty woman smiling blankly and a train rushing into a tunnel. These images are set to heavy metal music and are another tie-in to the "MTV" culture which holds great appeal to the younger generation. These musical symbols reach out to the audience because the majority of people have some interest in music. The music represented in the film is a mixture of rock and metal which is directed at the younger audience.

Other symbols that pop up are the orange "Music Town" aprons , the shaved head of Deborah , and the long hair of the majority of the males. When the manager, Joe, reveals the owner's plans to turn Empire Records into a chain record store called "Music Town," he pulls out several orange aprons and tosses them at the employees. These aprons are frowned upon and eventually vandalized with black spray-painted Xs on them to show the characters dislike of commercialism and conformity. When mocking the uptight rules of "Music Town," Gina strips down to just the apron and struts around asking, "Welcome to Music Town, may I service you?" Deborah shaves her head after a failed suicide attempt to show her deep depression. She is rebelling against the female standard as well as the "happy" people around her. This change is often remarked on by the other characters and leads to an intervention of sorts. The head is also often rubbed as a sign of comfort against her depression. The long hair that is worn by almost every male character shows the large rebellion against the more clean-cut corporate world that is encroaching on Empire Records. Even Joe, a middle-aged man, wears his hair at chin-level as he fights to preserve Empire Record's individuality. The only main male character who doesn't wear his hair long is Lucas who takes on a monk-like personality during the film. The shorter hair is to give off a wiser vibe.

Feminist Analysis:

Empire Records has very stereotypical male and female characters. The men are the protective, wise, decision-making characters (for the most part), and the women are categorized as brainy and meek, slutty, and depressed and sulking. Joe, the oldest of the cast, is all about making everything right while helping out the youth under his care. Lucas, dressed in black, represents otherworldly wisdom and spouts zen bits of gibberish such as "Who knows were thoughts come from; they just appear." A.J. is the lovesick teen who must make the first move to win his lady. Mark is the wild party guy with all the jokes and physical humor. Eddie is the stereotypical stoner with straggly hair and 'dude' tossed into every line. Each male character is decidedly masculine; there is no crossing lines. The females are placed into even smaller boxes of characterization. Deborah is the rock-and-roll chick covered in tattoos, piercings, and a negative attitude. She shaves her head at the beginning and sports a wrist bandage to show her angst. Corey is the brainy but beautiful girl who plans to attend Harvard but is secretly hiding her use of speed from the world. Gina is the pretty slut who wears revealing clothing and pouts attractively at the men but is secretly worried she'll end up unloved and alone.

Now there is a reason the characters stay in their little roles, never venturing into the depths of real character development. Young audiences don't want to see a character drastically change when they already fit a mold which the viewer can see him or herself in. Each character has his or her sympathizers, teens who are also struggling with a similar issue. If the characters were to suddenly grow up... then the audience would have to imagine such a thing happening in reality. Oh no! Instead we get a comfortable layout of characters which are predictable. The puzzle pieces fit together without any of that pesky deep thinking. The youth can watch a character and say, "They are just like me!" while the adults say, "Was I ever that one-dimensional?"

In conclusion, the film does not stand up to the test of time, or should I say the test of maturity, but I can still sit back and enjoy it if I don't think too hard. Instead I grab at the one-liners hoping there will come a time when I can fit "Damn the Man" into a conversation.