Music Video Analysis
This music video features 3 aspects of music video, abstract, narrative and performance. American artist, Lana Del Rey, recorded this song for her album 'Born to Die', released June 2012. The song charted top ten in over 5 countries and number one in 2 countries, Ukraine and Poland. Many remixes have been made from this track also reaching number one in many countries, originally being a trip hop genre.
The music video features a lesbian couple resulting in them both jumping to their deaths in suicide, from a height. The video circulated through YouTube and went viral through the likes of Facebook and Twitter.
The music video is controversial in the sense of displaying a same sex couple experiencing a break up. This would muster a reaction from the audiences, and since the artist is known for shocking controversial statements, this made the video a lot more viral and successful in that sense. This music video has featured on MTV, television and as mentioned prior, YouTube and social medias. This music video is a mixture of abstract, performance and narrative to capture more of an audience.
In the opening scene, editing is used really well here. Many music videos which have abstract underlining use the weather to display emotion.
This timelapse of the clouds drifting symbolises bad things are about to happen through the feature of pathetic fallacy. A sepia filter has been added to this as well, to make the music video seem more retro, a motif of Lana Del Rey's music videos, to reach out to a more indie based fan group, stereotypically. The hairline on the left shows an old film that has been damaged. Again, the nostalgia theme is a strong undertone through Del Rey's works, yet also adds to the storyline that memories have been damaged permanently.
This shot brands the artist, showing Lana Del Reys long waved hair and red lips. Editing is also used heavily here, adding a red burnt filter, giving the effect of being retrospective and that the film is damaged, again showing the storyline of looking back on old memories. When the first few moments of the music video features the artist, without a title and showing signature features, we know who sings the song.
The pan used here is from a point of view perspective. The mise-en-scene here is used to again, brand the artist as many of Lana Del Rey's use landscapes to portray emotion, in this case, danger clashing with serenity.
This is a very aesthetic scene to use within the video. The nature surrounding Lana Del Rey in a long shot usually symbolises peace and serenity but here, we see her fall from a height, giving contrasting connotations. The pose she holds is a religious pose, like those seen when Jesus is hung on a cross as a sacrifice. We can connect the two, seeing that Lana Del Rey is sacrificing her life from something which isn't apparent to the audience as of yet. She is also dressed all in white, showing purity, which also connects with the religious imagery she shows.
A transition between these shots display a simple yet effective opaque corss fade from a medium shot to a close up of the artists face. The lens flare still features throughout. This is a cross over of a narrative and performance aspect of the music video as she sings as in soliloquy but however adds to the story lines depth.
A young female is introduced into the plot in a close up of her, driving an obvious fake car with a moving backdrop or green screen. The film has a sepia filter and a saturated wash of colour to make the scene look like a memory. The female wears make up and a saddened expression which can maybe mean she is upset or angry with the artist. As the artist sings about a romantic break up, this could be her girlfriend in the narrative.
The medium close up of Del Rey is used, showing her looking into the distance and the use of a projector displays a moving image across her face and on the wall behind her. This could analyse as she feels detached from her memories, and she is reflecting on them by watching them. In a way she is involved in the memories but casts a guilty shadow on them, maybe portraying the artists guilt or sadness in losing the lover.
This extreme close up of her hand on her thigh suggests intimacy however she claws at her skin further suggesting that she is stressed or depressed at the narrative situation. To further back this up, the is shown as she sings "nothing scares me anymore", displaying that her fear has been diminished and she feels numb to pain but there is a longing to feel something as she inflicts pain on her thigh by clawing at her skin. This also implies as this is an intimate area that she is hinting at being depressed by a partner which would link with the scenario of her breaking up with her girlfriend.
This shot is again a close up of the artist. So many close ups are used perhaps to show more of the artists emotions throughout the distressing narrative or also might analyse as the artist being trapped in her own mind and the disorientation she feels by feelings so upset due to the heartbreak. The silhouette used here displays how the artist is drained of colour and feels not completely in control of the situation. The low key lighting here is key, as the light radiating from behind her might signify her past was a lot brighter when her relationship was perfect with her girlfriend and now she is left reminiscing in the dark, alone. A feathered edge is used here, making the edged of the picture appear darker. This is done to add more affect of the artist being trapped in the situation.
The slow motion medium shot has been edited here to add stylistic elements and a way of showing the artists beauty. On the other hand, this could of been used to show the artists disorientation in depression of losing someone you love. The mist machine has been used to show how the artist is lost, and isolated from everyone. The mist also adds to aesthetics as the whole scene looks very visually pleasing which Del Rey is known for in her music videos.
The point of view shot used here shows the artists girlfriend spinning as if holding her. The transitions fade from white and back to white when this scene finishes. This is a convention of showing the audience a dream sequence or a memory sequence; in this case a memory sequence she had with her girlfriend.
In this close up, there is no red lens flare in the top left corner. This might signify the artist is displaying that this memory isn't a painful one she wishes to fade like the rest but seeing her girlfriend smile takes away the pain. The sepia filter is used again to show this is a memory of the artists.
Time lapses are a type of editing which adds stylistic elements to music videos. In this case the camera is at a regular focal length and at a low angle up at the trees. This might connote as time passing quickly as trees in music videos symbolise time passing as seasons do.
The shallow focus here blurs the girlfriend of the close up shot and focuses more on the main artist. The artist wears an appreciative expression as she looks in awe at her partner. This may connote as seeing the couple in love and being besotted with each other in order to gain audience sympathy for the artist as they breakup which makes a relatable music video for audiences to become attached to.
The two shot here shows them both in a medium shot. The space between them shows the tension in their relationship. Their expressions are recognisable in this type of shot so the audience can relate to how their feeling in this situation.
Following on from the previous clip, the music video incorporates a montage of memories that the artist had with their girlfriend. These are shown between the girlfriend going to jump of the bridge shown here;
These are edited in a saturated colour. This is to show the mood and genre of the song, being depressing and sad, meaning their lives have no colour without each other. The background blur on the last shot indicates how the girlfriend don't feel attached to the world anymore without her partner, and is left reflecting her own thoughts.
In the medium close up of her jumping from the bridge, this is done in slow motion for dramatic affect. The woman jumps out of shot, leaving the ending to the audiences imagination.
The graphic score used here represents the death of the girlfriend. As she jumps in a red dress, the scene cuts to a red vase plummeting to the ground and smashing. This symbolises the death of the girl without showing anything too much for the audience. This is an artistic way to show something that is offhand without causing travesty.
Nearing the end of the music video, there is another fast paced montage switching between recorded memory clips and the girlfriend in the mist. This continues until the end of the song which reveals the final clip of Del Rey walking towards the camera from an extreme long shot to a long shot.
The use of a blurred camera and the costume work nicely in collaboration here as the blur gives a white glow from the costume. This could signify being that she is a ghost as she jumped from the cliff. The camera is at a low angle, looking up at Lana, which might also signify that the power of love in a relationship is superior. The music video cuts to black very quickly and ends there, leaving the audience feeling numb and depressed from the plot of the music video.
Due to the sexuality of the music video, this battles media stereotypes of romantic couples, meaning the music video will challenge controversial topics such as gay marriage and relationships. An artist embarks doing so to create an audience reaction making the music video more popular and topic of conversation.
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