Underrated/ Sick Vids: Dio's "Holy Diver"

The coolest thing about Ronnie James Dio's 1983 video for "Holy Diver" is that it treats reality like a puppet -- a shadow puppet of doom. That is to say, Dio's definitely toying with the boundaries of the universe (as we know it) here. Artistically speaking, it's a well-executed clip, with Ronnie playing the smirking hero that has time to both slay the bad dude and sing the hook. And yeah, it suits the song fairly well: you don't want a Michel Gondry lego-fest with this shit, you want some fucking swords and some really fucking hot-looking lava! Let's not mince words, the "Holy Diver" video had to bring it hard, and it does so impressively.

But there's something more here, something that makes it Underrated-worthy. The storyline for this video is absolutely astounding. It opens in silence, with the camera panning across some healthy trees that suddenly become barren. Then, the rocking commences: that axe riff sinks its teeth into our hearts as we watch a cold, desolate castle of some kind set the scene. It becomes clear that a battle between the fair, noble Ronnie James, wielding a sweet sword and a sweeter perm, and Some Ugly Douche With an Axe is about to occur. As Dio strokes his sword suggestively and all but winks at the camera, we at home think, "...Dude's got this fight in the bag." And this proves to be the case, as one swift, feminine blow to the other guy's chest somehow stuns him into falling down (witness the hilariously sorrowful collapse at 1:25). Dio walks on, and as the first chorus climaxes with "Gotta get awaaaay...", we know that there shall be more battles for this silly motherfucker to face.

Or are there?

This is where the music video steers away from its battle-scene impulses and heads toward more philosophical ground. Ronnie James Dio sorta stalks around the castle for a minute, as this evil/childish black demon artwork keeps appearing on the screen. What the hell is this? We keep expecting to find out, but more detours are taken, as a mysterious blacksmith-esque man with a black mask that does nothing for his complexion provides our hero with the most fucking beast-mode sword in history. Dio leaves with the new sword, and now, at long last, you expect an epic duel with some sinister force, right as the song winds down in a tremendous heap of awesome. But like... the next minute of the video is devoted to Ronnie James walking like a complete moron as a bird squawks at him, and then accidentally stumbling upon three guys in red hoods chillin out in front of what I can only assume is a sick-ass volcano. At 3:13, when the third one looks up to reveal big, yellow eyes and no face -- the chills, my friend.

So now, of course, Dio will battle the greatest evil the world has ever known, using the most crotch-grabbingly bitchin' sword God has ever licked. Right? Wrong: instead, the video cuts to a shot of Dio once again outside of the castle, walking toward the camera until coming into a close-up, where his face is briefly swapped with that of the frustratingly cartoonish black demon. Then, I guess, he leaves. More shots of dead trees? You got 'em! And all becomes black.

One of two things is happening here: either the director planned to film a big battle scene and the video's budget of $4.75 wouldn't allow it, or Dio is using "Holy Diver" to question the fabric of our existence. By juxtaposing Dio's face with the demon, the director is suggesting that the noble hero may not be so pristine after all; such is the case with life. Why must we watch endless battles between good and evil, when we can look inside ourselves and find aspects of both extremes? We can cut down ugly enemies in our paths, we can receive the coolest weapon to fight evil, but no training or accessory will quell the evil that lurks within us. If our biggest enemy is essentially a shadow, like Ronnie James Dio's was, is this enemy representative of nothing -- or everything? How can we fight the enemy we cannot identify?

At 2:23 in the video for "Holy Diver", Ronnie James Dio captures his soul in a chokehold and lets out the high-pitched, crushing line, "The vision never DIIIIIES!" I think this is part of the reason that the main battle sequence was omitted from the video. If we were to actually view our internal demons, all of our greatest fears and insecurities, the vision would haunt us forever. All we can see is the progress toward defeating them, and the slow, steady walk toward victory. "Holy Diver" operates in the same vein as great postmodern artists such as Samuel Beckett and David Lynch, defining itself by reflecting the mirror upon its audience. We see ourselves in "Holy Diver", and understand that, sometimes, you don't need to see the most heart-wrenching battles to know that they have occurred within all of us. And also, that you're not going to do anything in this world unless you have the biggest fucking sword in the tri-state area. Thank you, Dio.