Depeche Mode: M Documentary Review – A Deep Dive
When I saw about a month back that a music documentary on the British band depeche Mode was soon to be released on Netflix, I was highly intrigued. I have been familiar with the music of Depeche Mode for decades,but what intrigued me about the documentary was its setting. For it focuses on just one part of the band’s extensive tour that had taken them to a great number of cities across Europe and North America in 2023-4. The documentary is exclusively concerned with three sold-out shows in mexico City that, in total, were attended by 200,000 fans in the grand stadium of Foro Sol.
I wondered what the special connection was between the British band and the huge Latin American megalopolis. So the day “depeche Mode: M,” directed by Fernando Frias de la Parra, was released on Netflix, I eagerly watched the documentary to learn the answer. In the documentary, one fan explains the enduring popularity of the band:
“I think Depeche Mode belongs to a different time. Depeche Mode is tattooed in the heart of three of four generations, and that lets them connect with new generations. What I think is hard for a band nowadays is to last as long as Depeche did.”
Nonetheless, similar sentiments could probably have been found in any other of the places in which the band performed on their tour.Also, whilst the trisyllabic chant of “Depeche Mode” given by the crowd sounds a lot like the proud national chant of ”Mexico,” this could not be the particular reason for the special connection between the band and Mexico City either. However, it is soon clear in the documentary that it is the latest album by Depeche Mode, which the tour was promoting, that explains the link.
The name of that album is Memento Mori. For those who do not recognize this latin expression, it means, in the translation given by the documentary “Remember You Must Die.” Depeche Mode have never been a bubbly band by a long shot, but from the documentary, it is understood that the obsession with death reflected by the new album is inspired by the loss of one of the founding band members, the keyboardist Andrew Fletcher in 2022, and also the global focus on mortality inspired by the recent pandemic.
Geographically though, there is possibly no place on earth to which the recognition of death is more associated with than Mexico City. For every November, this city has a mass celebration for the day of the Dead in which the remembrance of those who have passed is carried out in a spirit of festivity rather than mourning, and in which Death itself, through a parade of colorful comical costumes and floats, is effectively rendered a figure of fun. The colorful skulls with “Joy” written upon them in the documentary surely reference this festival.
This would seem to explain why, as a Mexican fan puts it, “people here ‘get’ their music. we feel it. We have a lot of that undercurrent of death.” the connotation of Mexico City with death goes deep into the city’s history and predates its transformation into a Spanish-speaking Catholic city following its conquest from the Aztecs by the Spanish in the 1520s. For what is perhaps still best-known about the extinguished Aztec culture was its practice of human sacrifice.
The documentary opens with panoramic views,in the resolution of a late 20th-century video cassette,of the natural beauty of Mexico,and also its natural power through its active volcanoes. Speaking over this is a voice explaining the Aztec, or Mexica, faith:
To ensure the sunrise through an offering of blood. This was the premise of Mexica human sacrifice.A daily sacrifice by the individual to guarantee the community’s well-being. The location for the s
Depeche Mode’s documentary, Memento Mori, isn’t just a concert film; it’s a philosophical exploration of life, death, and the human condition. Interwoven with footage from their 2023-2024 tour, the film challenges assumptions about mortality, cultural traditions, and even the power of language.
The band subtly links the song “Around the world and back” to bandmate Andy Fletcher, who died in 2022. The lyrics – “That’s all there is, the world in my eyes/That’s all there is” – suggest a stark acceptance of death as a finality, prompting viewers to consider the band’s evolving perspective on mortality.
Mexico City, its culture of death
memento Mori doesn’t simply present Mexico City’s famed Day of the Dead as a joyful embrace of mortality.The documentary thoughtfully questions the origins and meaning of this cultural phenomenon. It challenges the notion that Mexicans have no fear of death, instead presenting a more nuanced view.
Claudio Lomnitz argues that the “nationalization of death” and the glorification of Mexican attitudes toward death are relatively recent,20th-century developments. Luis felipe Fabre similarly points out that the popular image of “candy skulls” doesn’t reflect ancient Mexican beliefs. He notes that ancient Mexica poems reveal “a hyper-tragic sense of existence,” rather than playful mockery of death. The film directly asks whether “death” is truly a “national symbol” of Mexico, suggesting the Day of the Dead might potentially be a Catholic import with limited authentic cultural roots.
Other questions raised by band
Beyond death, Depeche Mode tackles broader existential themes. The song “Enjoy the Silence” prompts reflection on whether the most meaningful aspects of human experiance lie beyond the reach of language, and how language itself can contribute to misunderstanding and “harm.”
The documentary opens with “My Cosmos is Mine,” a song that champions personal autonomy and authenticity. However,the lyrics take a provocative turn with the plea,”Don’t knock down my shrines.” This suggests a tension between individual freedom and the potential for intolerance towards differing beliefs.