This Week in the Mercury

Take Your Medicine

Music

Take Your Medicine

The Pharmacy's Rock and Roll Lifestyle


Tour Guide to Shakespeare

Theater

Tour Guide to Shakespeare

Portland Center Stage's Shakespeare's Amazing Cymbeline.



  |  

Friday, August 29, 2008

Video Can Someone Please Explain "November Rain" to Me?

Posted by Ezra Ace Caraeff on Fri, Aug 29, 2008 at 3:38 PM

It's been 17 years since the video for Guns N' Roses' "November Rain" came out, and I still don't get it.

I know there was supposed to be a pair of sequels that wrapped up the batshit crazy plot (How did she die? Why did the Best Man leave the ceremony to solo in some desert by himself? Did they really build special stairs for Slash to climb in his ascension of Axl's piano?), but "Don't Cry" just made everything more confusing (Slash dies?) and "Estranged" had dolphins in it.

Fucking dolphins!

Wiki, take it away:

Much speculation exists about the shot of Axl walking past the gun store. Some take it as a sign that Axl killed his new bride. Others think it may mean that Stephanie has already visited the store, and Axl is too late to save her. Yet another theory is that, while Axl didn't physically shoot her, he may have pushed/motivated her to kill herself. There is even some confusion as to how Stephanie died. While most accept that she was shot in the head, some believe that she is killed by the lightning strike at the end of the wedding reception. However, the mirror over half her face gives credence to the "gunshot theory", as the families of head trauma victims often employ mirrors to give the appearance of a full face. It's entirely possible that the gun store was just a clever play on the band's name.

That doesn't help me at all. Anyone?

 

Commenting was not available when this article was originally published.

Comments (1) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment
1
It's not important how she dies. The real crux of the video is the complex emotional interplay between Axl and Slash. "The Bride" is merely a canvass on which that rich story can be painted.

Slash must go out into the desert because he is mourning the loss of his friend, just as his friend will soon mourn the loss of his bride. The desert represents Slash's inability to just be happy for Axl, his need for some time on his own to work through the web of feelings entangling him.

One could make a powerful contextual and motivational argument that Slash killed the bride. It is only during her death march that Slash, employing the piano staircase, has the upper hand in his relationship with Axl. Perhaps he expects Axl to turn to him in his mourning without understanding that it is precisely in these times, during the cold November rain, that everybody needs some time all alone.
Posted by Ben Moral on September 1, 2008 at 9:56 AM · Report

Add a comment

Tip for End Hits?
Email them here.

Friends of End Hits

Enemies of End Hits

/images/adoftheweek.gif

ad of the day

The Handyman Pro - Your Honey-Do Specialist
Don’t let our name fool you. The Handyman Pro, LLC is a repair and remodel service provider with over 25-years experience. We cover all aspects of construction and repairs for residential and commercial clients.go


post an ad

All contents © Index Newspapers, LLC

115 SW Ash St. Suite 600
Portland, OR 97204

Contact Info | Privacy Policy | Production Guidelines | Terms of Use