Metaphor and Symbolism in Contemporary Cinema

reviewed Sun, 16 Jul 2000

Spice World crafts perhaps the definitive socio-political statement of our generation.  As Prime Minister Tony Blair leads Great Britain into a renascence of boisterous, light-hearted, yet highly marketable expression of creativity, so do the Spice Girls in this movie represent the new "Cool Britannia" and its symbolic desire to be judged independently of its often stodgy past.  In one early scene, the Girls attempt to sign autographs for their fans, but are cruelly pushed into their lavishly appointed tour bus (painted, in a nicely understated touch, like a Union Jack) by a publicist.  So, too, does England find itself pushed into aloofness by the tyrannical "publicists" of Tradition and Royalty when, in fact, it secretly yearns to mingle with the commoners.

Shortly thereafter, the manager of the band finds himself in conference with two crass American entertainment executives.  Postulating ludicruous ideas for a Spice Girls movie, these Hollywood representatives embody the soullessness of the American "anything for a buck" ethos, juxtaposed with a ridiculous lack of creativity.  They are attempting to distort the pure artistic essence of the British soul for financial gain, with no regard for the integrity of artistic process.  (This scene functions as well as a meta-comment on the absurdity of a popular-music band starring in a movie, a clever bit of self-consciousness as this is, in fact, a movie starring a pop band.)  An extra layer of irony is added through having a Canadian (Mark McKinney) portray one of the two American executives, a derisive yet subtle jab at American boorishness by using a native of a country that still holds some allegiance to the Queen to mock a country that roundly rejected such ties.

Each Spice Girl represents a facet of Everywoman: Posh, the desire to impress one's peers with clothing considered in fashion.  Scary, the urge to dominate and intimidate.  Sporty, the innate animal instinct toward athletic endeavour.  Baby, the appealing desire to regress to an infantile state.  And Ginger, the vitality and energy that fuels life itself.  In this conglomeration of over-emphasized traits assigned to individuals, we see ourselves.  Les Spice Girls, c'est nous.

In a final, damning analysis of contemporary artistic endeavor, if one were to eliminate the auditory element of the movie and replace it with a randomly chosen popular-music radio station, the movements and mouthings of the Girls synchronize perfectly with almost any generic pop song like, say, Britney Spears' "Ooops, I Did It Again."  This is a subtle, yet incisive, indictment of the conformity that is required of artists to attain success.

Next week:  The Message Carried by The Postman

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