17 February 2010

Marching Hammers logo

David from NJ also asks:  "What is the exact meaning and symbolism of the marching hammer sequence in The Wall? Who created the marching hammer logo, Waters, Scarfe, or the Nazis?"

The marching hammers are a multi-faceted symbol for oppression, and were borrowed from the Nazi National Front (a fascist political organization in London at the time) who used the crossed hammers symbol as their insignia before the same was used in The Wall film.  You need only scan the surface of The Wall to find cognizant examples of oppression in all its ugliest of forms - political extremism, belligerent racism and homophobia, misogyny and bigotry, brain-washing, etc.  It was Gerald Scarfe who invented the skinhead militia known in the film as The Hammer Guard, but were actually real members of The Tilbury Skins from Southeast London.  You will remember The Hammer Guard as the chummy bunch of uniformed skinheads who guarded Pink.

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