Music Video Critical Analysis
Aphex Twin - Come To Daddy
Come To Daddy is a hit single by Aphex Twin, released in 1997. Directed by Chris
Cunningham, the music video caused widespread offence, as people were angered by various suggestive ideas surrounding kids. The video itself is based around the fear of the youth culture and the medias involvement.
This is firstly shown at the beginning of the video with a tracking shot of some tall, run down, typical council estate buildings, which therefore sets a theme for the rest of the clip. The slightly tilted camera angle looks up at the buildings, making them seem even more threatening, and suggesting poverty. This could be perceived as a subtle metaphor in that the gang culture, inevitably inhabiting the building, is also typically seen as threatening and poor. As viewers, we then consider the camera movement, as it slowly pans the buildings, slightly shaking. This is a point of view shot used to convey fear and disorientation, both of which once again can be related to anti establishment, with the idea that this is how teenagers leave their victims, or members of the public in general, feeling. The production then goes on to introduce an old woman who is walking her Bull Terrier dog. The dog could be seen as a symbol of protection that the woman feels she needs. It contrasts the typical Jack Russel, or ‘soft dog’ usually associated with older people, and suggests youth culture has got so bad, an older woman feels like a fierce dog is a necessity to stay safe. Feminist theory could be applied here, with the common misconception that women are generally more scared and weaker than men. A dark voyeur shot is then used in order to create the idea that she is being watched, which amplifies fear within the audience, as this classic horror film technique is used. This is shortly followed by a close up of the woman’s face, clearly indicating her poor eye sight which exaggerates her vulnerability, in that she can’t see everything and could easily be crept up on.
Next, the viewers are introduced to the ‘faceless youths’ who take the shape of young school girls, but with wearing the DJs face as a mask. It is a theme today that those involved in the ‘asbo lifestyle’ mask themselves, once again to amplify fear, and the fact that there is lots of them, introduces the gang culture as being more threatening as opposed to if just two or three teens were causing trouble.
Next, I focussed more on the suggestive elements of the video. The fact that children are used suggestively caused a lot of complaints, simply because no one likes the idea of objectifying a child, specially associated with sex or rape. However, it could be argued that the director has chosen girls from ages of 8 – 10 in order to portray the ridiculousness of fear of teenagers, and exaggerated in order to get his point across. The director conveys to the audience his opinion, that society’s view on teenage culture is ridiculous and where we could be heading, should this irrational fear of even preteens these days continue. In addition to this, the questionable approach to how Cunningham presents the girls is in school dresses and white trainers, is now brought into the video. The summer uniform is a symbol of innocence, and a close up tracking shot of the trainers skipping puts emphasis on them and also allows a connection between trainers and the ‘asbo culture’. In addition to this, we see a male figure thrusting an a suggestive way towards the children. This is a metaphorical phallus, and yet again, it suggests rape or inappropriate sexuality + loss of innocence towards young children. There is also a link here with the street dance culture, and the lifestyle they are portrayed as by the media, in that the ‘anti establishment’ group as a whole, are often associated with street dancing. A little later, another controversial clip is shown as the child is thrown onto some bins. As she falls, her legs are wide open, and
the male child is creepily approaching her. If the idea of rape has not been clear before this point, it is now apparent to all viewers, no matter how you analyse the shot. In addition to this, the girl is smiling while it happens in a very sinister way which conveys to the audience how youths think this kind of behaviour is perfectly acceptable. Furthermore, another perception could be that this generation is actually proud of what goes on in the so called ‘dodgy estates’. In a way, this is Cunningham’s way of not only portraying his disbelief at the recent generations ‘chavy’ behaviour, but also his distain in their compliance with life as we know it and the increasing isolation between generations and classes. I think a main theme of the video is the point that teenagers and the like, simply accept a chosen way of life, without questioning it, and it then forms a structure to the rest of their life. Instead, they could remove themselves from all the crime and violence, and live a perfectly happy life on an estate, instead of getting involved. Having said this, that is simply one of the themes Cunningham wishes to express, that their needs to be more inspiration in young people, in that they are raised to believe that they are a ‘nobody’ in our society.
Another important point to focus on is the intercontextuality involved in the piece. The director emulates Stanley Kubrick’s ‘The Shining’, as a hommage to the film, with the young girls skipping in slow motion, with a slower paced music accompanying it. This is an iconic film within the genre and Cunningham has used this element to make young people look more threatening and powerful. This could be a point to get at society and almost a reflection of how everyone do see teens. In addition to this, it could be an ironic attempt at humour, showing how powerful young people can be, if they are represented in a certain way.
Next, when the monster is screaming at the elderly woman, this is an attempt at irony by the director, in that it is commonly known that the older people in society have
very strong opinions about the music listened to today. Often describing it as “noise” and “hurting my ears”. The fact that she is being screamed at, at full pelt, highlights the generation gap and the music the DJ produces is simply noise to older people, and therefore the establishment. In addition to this, the ‘screamer’ has a very thin body, which implies poverty and youth in itself, and is therefore another element associated with gang culture. This is important, because it is a stereotype that kids that have gone ‘off the rails’ and are involved with gangs and crime are often from a poverty stricken back ground, perhaps another stereo type Cunningham wishes to challenge.
Finally, the closing scene to the video portrays a figure surrounded by children, this in my opinion could have three possible meanings. Firstly, it could convey the idea of motherhood, in that the character is clearly the ‘leader’ of the children, shown by the long shot of the camera, and seems to be looking after all of them. Maybe here, we could link it to the idea of teenager mothers and having lots of children in order to gain more income support, a common concept in certain life styles. However, the sinister figure looks male, a bit creepy, and primarily naked. Straightaway, this stops being thought of as a maternal act, and the audience could now see this as having paedophilic implications towards children. Yet again this is a sick joke from Cunningham, and a play on peoples fears which have been created by the media, but have a questionable amount of truth involved. It is interesting to note here the change in the way of which we look at the scene, when we realise the figure is male. Because of the negative image males get in the press, immediately we assume this man must be a paedophile, and so this is a repeat of the media twisting and creating stereotypes. Lastly, the anchor to this scene is also indicated in that some perceptions would suggest a Jesus figure. The nakedness implies this to the audience, and with a clear intercontextuality and the fact that some may perceive this as Jesus, is the directors last attempt at conveying what a backward society we live in. Alternatively, He could be saying that because the figure looks slightly sinister, we immediately judge him, when in actual fact, the man could be perfectly ‘normal’ but we would not give him a chance. Cunningham could relate this to other generations, where society was a lot more trusting on the whole, and this may sadden people to realise that there is no belief in humanity anymore.
In terms of the theories involved in this music video, you could link it to Andrew goodwins theory. This is because all five aspects Goodwin identified are included in Come To Daddy, in some shape or form. This is shown firstly with the star image idea, as the DJ is the face of all of the little girls, which promotes him as an individual, as viewers begin to recognise his face, although the combination results in a sinister sort of character. Secondly, in relation to visuals, there are
To conclude, this music video, in many ways, is one of the most influential and powerful music video in terms of the public reaction. It remains the most complained about video in history and has received over nine awards including ‘Best Video 1997’ and ‘individual budget under £40,000. It remains a revolutionary point in the history of music videos, and its controversial approach to social stereotypes will be remembered for a long time.
Cunningham, the music video caused widespread offence, as people were angered by various suggestive ideas surrounding kids. The video itself is based around the fear of the youth culture and the medias involvement.
This is firstly shown at the beginning of the video with a tracking shot of some tall, run down, typical council estate buildings, which therefore sets a theme for the rest of the clip. The slightly tilted camera angle looks up at the buildings, making them seem even more threatening, and suggesting poverty. This could be perceived as a subtle metaphor in that the gang culture, inevitably inhabiting the building, is also typically seen as threatening and poor. As viewers, we then consider the camera movement, as it slowly pans the buildings, slightly shaking. This is a point of view shot used to convey fear and disorientation, both of which once again can be related to anti establishment, with the idea that this is how teenagers leave their victims, or members of the public in general, feeling. The production then goes on to introduce an old woman who is walking her Bull Terrier dog. The dog could be seen as a symbol of protection that the woman feels she needs. It contrasts the typical Jack Russel, or ‘soft dog’ usually associated with older people, and suggests youth culture has got so bad, an older woman feels like a fierce dog is a necessity to stay safe. Feminist theory could be applied here, with the common misconception that women are generally more scared and weaker than men. A dark voyeur shot is then used in order to create the idea that she is being watched, which amplifies fear within the audience, as this classic horror film technique is used. This is shortly followed by a close up of the woman’s face, clearly indicating her poor eye sight which exaggerates her vulnerability, in that she can’t see everything and could easily be crept up on.
Next, the viewers are introduced to the ‘faceless youths’ who take the shape of young school girls, but with wearing the DJs face as a mask. It is a theme today that those involved in the ‘asbo lifestyle’ mask themselves, once again to amplify fear, and the fact that there is lots of them, introduces the gang culture as being more threatening as opposed to if just two or three teens were causing trouble.
Next, I focussed more on the suggestive elements of the video. The fact that children are used suggestively caused a lot of complaints, simply because no one likes the idea of objectifying a child, specially associated with sex or rape. However, it could be argued that the director has chosen girls from ages of 8 – 10 in order to portray the ridiculousness of fear of teenagers, and exaggerated in order to get his point across. The director conveys to the audience his opinion, that society’s view on teenage culture is ridiculous and where we could be heading, should this irrational fear of even preteens these days continue. In addition to this, the questionable approach to how Cunningham presents the girls is in school dresses and white trainers, is now brought into the video. The summer uniform is a symbol of innocence, and a close up tracking shot of the trainers skipping puts emphasis on them and also allows a connection between trainers and the ‘asbo culture’. In addition to this, we see a male figure thrusting an a suggestive way towards the children. This is a metaphorical phallus, and yet again, it suggests rape or inappropriate sexuality + loss of innocence towards young children. There is also a link here with the street dance culture, and the lifestyle they are portrayed as by the media, in that the ‘anti establishment’ group as a whole, are often associated with street dancing. A little later, another controversial clip is shown as the child is thrown onto some bins. As she falls, her legs are wide open, and
the male child is creepily approaching her. If the idea of rape has not been clear before this point, it is now apparent to all viewers, no matter how you analyse the shot. In addition to this, the girl is smiling while it happens in a very sinister way which conveys to the audience how youths think this kind of behaviour is perfectly acceptable. Furthermore, another perception could be that this generation is actually proud of what goes on in the so called ‘dodgy estates’. In a way, this is Cunningham’s way of not only portraying his disbelief at the recent generations ‘chavy’ behaviour, but also his distain in their compliance with life as we know it and the increasing isolation between generations and classes. I think a main theme of the video is the point that teenagers and the like, simply accept a chosen way of life, without questioning it, and it then forms a structure to the rest of their life. Instead, they could remove themselves from all the crime and violence, and live a perfectly happy life on an estate, instead of getting involved. Having said this, that is simply one of the themes Cunningham wishes to express, that their needs to be more inspiration in young people, in that they are raised to believe that they are a ‘nobody’ in our society.
Another important point to focus on is the intercontextuality involved in the piece. The director emulates Stanley Kubrick’s ‘The Shining’, as a hommage to the film, with the young girls skipping in slow motion, with a slower paced music accompanying it. This is an iconic film within the genre and Cunningham has used this element to make young people look more threatening and powerful. This could be a point to get at society and almost a reflection of how everyone do see teens. In addition to this, it could be an ironic attempt at humour, showing how powerful young people can be, if they are represented in a certain way.
Next, when the monster is screaming at the elderly woman, this is an attempt at irony by the director, in that it is commonly known that the older people in society have
very strong opinions about the music listened to today. Often describing it as “noise” and “hurting my ears”. The fact that she is being screamed at, at full pelt, highlights the generation gap and the music the DJ produces is simply noise to older people, and therefore the establishment. In addition to this, the ‘screamer’ has a very thin body, which implies poverty and youth in itself, and is therefore another element associated with gang culture. This is important, because it is a stereotype that kids that have gone ‘off the rails’ and are involved with gangs and crime are often from a poverty stricken back ground, perhaps another stereo type Cunningham wishes to challenge.
Finally, the closing scene to the video portrays a figure surrounded by children, this in my opinion could have three possible meanings. Firstly, it could convey the idea of motherhood, in that the character is clearly the ‘leader’ of the children, shown by the long shot of the camera, and seems to be looking after all of them. Maybe here, we could link it to the idea of teenager mothers and having lots of children in order to gain more income support, a common concept in certain life styles. However, the sinister figure looks male, a bit creepy, and primarily naked. Straightaway, this stops being thought of as a maternal act, and the audience could now see this as having paedophilic implications towards children. Yet again this is a sick joke from Cunningham, and a play on peoples fears which have been created by the media, but have a questionable amount of truth involved. It is interesting to note here the change in the way of which we look at the scene, when we realise the figure is male. Because of the negative image males get in the press, immediately we assume this man must be a paedophile, and so this is a repeat of the media twisting and creating stereotypes. Lastly, the anchor to this scene is also indicated in that some perceptions would suggest a Jesus figure. The nakedness implies this to the audience, and with a clear intercontextuality and the fact that some may perceive this as Jesus, is the directors last attempt at conveying what a backward society we live in. Alternatively, He could be saying that because the figure looks slightly sinister, we immediately judge him, when in actual fact, the man could be perfectly ‘normal’ but we would not give him a chance. Cunningham could relate this to other generations, where society was a lot more trusting on the whole, and this may sadden people to realise that there is no belief in humanity anymore.
In terms of the theories involved in this music video, you could link it to Andrew goodwins theory. This is because all five aspects Goodwin identified are included in Come To Daddy, in some shape or form. This is shown firstly with the star image idea, as the DJ is the face of all of the little girls, which promotes him as an individual, as viewers begin to recognise his face, although the combination results in a sinister sort of character. Secondly, in relation to visuals, there are
To conclude, this music video, in many ways, is one of the most influential and powerful music video in terms of the public reaction. It remains the most complained about video in history and has received over nine awards including ‘Best Video 1997’ and ‘individual budget under £40,000. It remains a revolutionary point in the history of music videos, and its controversial approach to social stereotypes will be remembered for a long time.
Madonna - Like a Prayer
Madonna's Like A Prayer hit single was released in January 1989, and was controversial in terms of its involvement of the church, which then lead to criticism from the Vatican. The video includes burning crosses and stigmata as well as implying sex with a saint. The video has various underlying techniques, mainly used to promote Madonna as an individual.
A key feature of Madonna's Like a Prayer music video is the objectification of both her and the rape victim. Madonna is reminding her male demographic of the sex in order to keep them interested and inevitably so she can sell more singles. This is shown firstly by the first picture on the left. here she is on her knees, which immediately reminds viewers of fellatio, or other sexual acts, portraying her as sexually confident and therefore ideal for men and women to fantasize about. Her hand is positioned around the bar in such a way that implies holding a penis, and as the video goes on she starts to rub the bar in a seductive manner. Not only does this remind viewers of sex, but it also allows them to enjoy the slightly erotic themes of this video. Furthermore, her mouth is slightly open, and as her lips act as the vagina porthole, yet again male viewers specially are captivated by her performance. Arguably, her slightly wild hair is styled so as a method of insinuating commonly known as 'bed hair', as referred to after sexual intercourse. Secondly, it is interesting to note that the rape victim is being objectified. Evidence of this is shown when the camera is used to fetishize her body, for example, a low positioned shot is used to accentuate the length of her bare legs after being stabbed by a knife, acting as a metaphorical penis. This clearly shows the victim as a sex object and therefore can be related to Laura Mulvey's male gaze theory, as her identity is taken away, and she becomes a pair of bare long legs to viewers. Finally, nearer the end of the music video, Madonna has her bra straps loose around her arms, as if they have slipped down. This, combined with her hand over her breast once again reminds male viewers of sex and allows them to visualise her as the sex object. Altogether, Madonna is trying to promote herself sexually, by making herself available for viewer to fetishize about, and by constantly reminding them about sex, she manages to create the feeling of wanting to watch her, thus promoting her song.
Another obvious element in the Like A Prayer video by Madonna is the inclusion of Binary's Opposition Theory. It is evident that the director, Mary Lambert, has considered the use of opposition carefully in the production, and used it in a manner which ensures a contrast between the two, and therefore an exaggerated effect on the audience. This allows them to see one extreme to another, and the themes and influences the director wishes to put across can be determined by high lighting these oppositions. It provides a structure to the video, and pairs related, yet opposite terms together in order to create the desired emotions within the audience.
This is shown firstly with the basic use of good versus bad. Following the narrative, we learn that the man pictured on the left, is one of the most evil men there can be. He rapes a girl, and then leaves someone else to take the blame for him, a character which the audience cannot relate to in any way, and is judged straight away as the 'scum of society.' He is then compared to the almost angelic actions of Madonna. She on the other hand, free's the man who is falsely accused of the crime. Her good deeds are high lighted by the fact he's a priest, and therefore regarded as a very respectable and kind man and the fact that he's black allows her interracial actions to be noticed by the audience, expanding her demographic once more, as she is represented as being against racism.
The Binary theory is also present when considering the physical appearances of the characters. By including both a man and a women, both black and white in their ethnicity. Not only is she portraying her acceptance of an ever increasing multi ethnic communities, but also that men aren't always the 'bad guy' in stereotypical situations. By including these elements, Madonna has increased her audience, as the video involves characters which appeal to both men and women of any ethnicity. Furthermore, it is fairly stereotypical for a man and a woman to star in a music video, specially where love is involved, however this case in completely unique in terms of circumstances they are both in.
Levi Strauss' ideas can also be found when comparing scenes of utter havoc and multiple layers of meanings to scenes of peace and quiet. This can be shown in the images below with the burning cross as opposed to a peaceful, warmly lit up church. The burning cross straight away gives connotations of danger and panic, without reading into it too much. However, when considering that the object on fire is the symbol of Christianity, different meanings begin to appear. This is one of the most controversial moments in the video, and would cause much disgust to many viewers all over the world. When compared to homely looking church, each one is exaggerated. The director might have done this on purpose, because even if there was a national outcry at the symbolic implications, people would still be talking about her song, resulting in more publicity and interest.
A final evident aspect of of binary's opposition theory is shown with the change of Madonna's portrayal in the video. The production begins with her being represented as innocent, she has just witnessed a crime and is faced with the dilemma of what to do. She is seen to have morals, and is therefore shown as the innocent victim of all this. As the video goes on, she extends her demographic by sexualizing herself, by a voyeuristic view from the camera, Madonna is now shown as a sex symbol for the interest of male viewers.
Finally, we can also use Andrew Goodwin's theory on music videos in order to analyse Madonna's Like A Prayer. Firstly, we can establish his ideas by looking at how Madonna promotes herself during the video, and how this affects her star image. Music videos were created partly in order to increase the popularity of the artist, and the director has clearly considered how best to influence the viewers into liking Madonna. This is shown in various ways. For example, Madonna has made herself seem
Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
Bohemian Rhapsody was a hit in 1975, which the main singer Freddy Mercury wrote for their album 'A Night At The Opera', also in that year. This music video was considered revolutionary for its time, as people had never seen anything like it. Arguably, it was the start to special effects being used in the music video industry, something today we take for granted.
The video includes many techniques the director included in order to gain his desired effect. For example, at the start, the dark shadowy faces, based on the famous photo of Marlene Dietrich, portray a great deal about the themes of the song. The messy, long hair gives connotations of a rock star straight away, and introduces the audience to those involved in the short film. The dark, shadowed faces with a particular focus on the sunken eyes and big lips, was no accident. This immediately implies to viewers a dark and scary side to the video, due to stereotypical traits of a horror film. In addition to this, the attention on the lips could make viewers think of a vagina porthole, which in theory sexualises Freddy Mercury, which is an interesting point of discussion because he was bisexual at the time. Secondly, the video then goes on, to fade in Freddy's face, over the top of the other band members. This highlights the focus on the main singer, as the idea that he is the most important of the band. The camera then goes on to zoom in on a band members hands playing a piano. The song has taken a slower pace at this point, and this is mirrored in the speed of the editing, in that the shots last longer and are slower in changing. In terms of sound, the piano seems to be slightly quieter than the guitar and vocals, perhaps again, to maintain the relaxed, slow and peaceful vibe the song wishes to portray at this point.
Effects also included in the video include those based on Mis-En-Scene. Going back to a point mentioned earlier, the clothing worn by Freddy Mercury is tight silky material in very feminine colours and accessorized with a bracelet. Immediately this negates Mercury's masculinity, causing viewers to relate to him as a homosexual man, as he was a very well known bisexual, despite having a couple of long-term relationships with females. However, it could be the directors way of exaggerating the truth slightly, enabling Mercury to have a signature characteristic, if you will, with his homosexuality. Homosexuality itself was only legalised in the UK in 1967, so for the time it was rather extraordinary for a persona of his status to be so open about it, and undoubtedly inspiring to the gay fan base. At this point in the production, Mercury is in the centre of the stage, with the camera looking up at him. This promotes the rock stars' persona, and makes him seem more powerful, in terms of music and in general, to the audience. This is important to note, because once again, in a homophobic society as it was, gaining respect would have been hard for Mercury, however with clever techniques such as this, the audience forget his sexuality. In addition to this, as the song gets into the fast paced part of song, with shorter and sharper sounds as the lyrics, the idea of urgency is introduced to the song. This is mirrored in the editing, as fast paced shots appear on screen to match the lyrics when necessary. This is most evident at the final solo of the song, as Mercury blasts out the lyrics, for the first time the camera is moving and changing shots extremely fast, which was a very complex effect in consideration to the context of production. The effect this has on the audience is huge, as they are completely drawn in for the final parts of the video.
Finally, the last part of the song is performed with a very slow pace. Once again this is portrayed within the editing and camera angle/movement with extreme close-ups, gradual zooms out and in, long lasting fades and slow changing shots. The scene then goes onto the image we are shown at the beginning of all four men in a shadowed area with sunken, dark eyes and lips, pale faces and messy hair. One final technique used to highlight Freddy Mercury as a character, is the dropping of their heads, all apart from Freddy who looks at the camera one last time for longer than the others before following suit and dropping his head. This leaves the audience with only him in their mind, as they have nothing else to focus on for the final close of the video.
The video includes many techniques the director included in order to gain his desired effect. For example, at the start, the dark shadowy faces, based on the famous photo of Marlene Dietrich, portray a great deal about the themes of the song. The messy, long hair gives connotations of a rock star straight away, and introduces the audience to those involved in the short film. The dark, shadowed faces with a particular focus on the sunken eyes and big lips, was no accident. This immediately implies to viewers a dark and scary side to the video, due to stereotypical traits of a horror film. In addition to this, the attention on the lips could make viewers think of a vagina porthole, which in theory sexualises Freddy Mercury, which is an interesting point of discussion because he was bisexual at the time. Secondly, the video then goes on, to fade in Freddy's face, over the top of the other band members. This highlights the focus on the main singer, as the idea that he is the most important of the band. The camera then goes on to zoom in on a band members hands playing a piano. The song has taken a slower pace at this point, and this is mirrored in the speed of the editing, in that the shots last longer and are slower in changing. In terms of sound, the piano seems to be slightly quieter than the guitar and vocals, perhaps again, to maintain the relaxed, slow and peaceful vibe the song wishes to portray at this point.
Effects also included in the video include those based on Mis-En-Scene. Going back to a point mentioned earlier, the clothing worn by Freddy Mercury is tight silky material in very feminine colours and accessorized with a bracelet. Immediately this negates Mercury's masculinity, causing viewers to relate to him as a homosexual man, as he was a very well known bisexual, despite having a couple of long-term relationships with females. However, it could be the directors way of exaggerating the truth slightly, enabling Mercury to have a signature characteristic, if you will, with his homosexuality. Homosexuality itself was only legalised in the UK in 1967, so for the time it was rather extraordinary for a persona of his status to be so open about it, and undoubtedly inspiring to the gay fan base. At this point in the production, Mercury is in the centre of the stage, with the camera looking up at him. This promotes the rock stars' persona, and makes him seem more powerful, in terms of music and in general, to the audience. This is important to note, because once again, in a homophobic society as it was, gaining respect would have been hard for Mercury, however with clever techniques such as this, the audience forget his sexuality. In addition to this, as the song gets into the fast paced part of song, with shorter and sharper sounds as the lyrics, the idea of urgency is introduced to the song. This is mirrored in the editing, as fast paced shots appear on screen to match the lyrics when necessary. This is most evident at the final solo of the song, as Mercury blasts out the lyrics, for the first time the camera is moving and changing shots extremely fast, which was a very complex effect in consideration to the context of production. The effect this has on the audience is huge, as they are completely drawn in for the final parts of the video.
Finally, the last part of the song is performed with a very slow pace. Once again this is portrayed within the editing and camera angle/movement with extreme close-ups, gradual zooms out and in, long lasting fades and slow changing shots. The scene then goes onto the image we are shown at the beginning of all four men in a shadowed area with sunken, dark eyes and lips, pale faces and messy hair. One final technique used to highlight Freddy Mercury as a character, is the dropping of their heads, all apart from Freddy who looks at the camera one last time for longer than the others before following suit and dropping his head. This leaves the audience with only him in their mind, as they have nothing else to focus on for the final close of the video.