deedramaid: Lady Gaga's 'Judas' Video: The Final Scene Explained

Friday, May 6, 2011

Lady Gaga's 'Judas' Video: The Final Scene Explained

'The video is so good, it's an individual interpretation,' co-director Laurieann Gibson tells MTV News.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Matt Elias

Lady Gaga
Photo: Getty Images

There are many memorable moments in Lady Gaga's "Judas" video, but perhaps none is as unexpected as the final scene. Gaga, dressed in a very big wedding dress, is stoned to death.

Gaga has done religion before; her "Alejandro" video was filled with religious iconography, causing quite a hubbub last year. Now, perhaps her most moving statement in this religious-themed video is her own death at the end.

"The video is so good, it's an individual interpretation, and as for me, personally, the dress, the wedding dress, you're the bride, Christ is the bridegroom, and to marry hope, faith, inspiration is ultimately the idea that no matter what anybody says, your purity is in your heart," co-director Laurieann Gibson told MTV News about the finale. "There's always tomorrow. There's always an opportunity to find peace, and it's pure. She's pure. You're pure. I'm pure. And the stones, they're just from people who judge, and if you're gonna throw one, then make sure your closet is clean."

The video was shot last month in Los Angeles, and Gibson shared some of the inside details of the shoot with MTV News. "We actually shot the video on the Universal lot, which was amazing," she recalled. " ... To be theater rats and dance kids from New York, for us to get to a [studio] lot was really magical. We art-directed it, so it was actually bare, and we were able to create 'New Jerusalem' and inspire the idea of the biblical inspiration but create it new.

"Never stop moving the lens, never lock off, complimenting her with the way she moves," Gibson added about directing the video. "Making it graceful when she's strong in her movement, and I particularly loved the stoning scene."

Gibson revealed that there was a concert scene that didn't make the final cut of the video and said they ended up with an overwhelming amount of material. "There's so much in the video," she said. "We got everything we wanted. We actually got more than we could edit. It was very difficult to decide the direction of the edit."

So how does the video fit in to Gaga's evolution as an artist? "It's the beginning of another journey," Gibson offered. " I think it's the start of a more powerful and effortless execution and design of a girl with a huge destiny."

What did you think of the "Judas" video? Share your reviews in the comments!

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