When I watched the music video, my first thought that was how relatable it was. I related to the area they lived in, I laughed at the way the joked with each other, and I felt confused and nervous when watching one of the kid's being beaten by another random kid. And the military everywhere? It looked as if they lived in a police state. Overall, it was also quite nostalgic, the video managing to make you feel reminiscent of the summer, or what it stands for- simplicity. It makes no sense for me to feel that way, seeing as I'm living that time period of teenhood, so there isn't much for me to reminisce, but Spike Jones, the genius director of this music video, brought his Hollywood chops along with him as he evoked emotions that weren't felt in the first place. His skill and ease at transferring from film to music videos is astounding, to say the least.
The Principles of Media Arts tend to be:
duration
hybridization
interactivity
point of view
In this music video, most everything was sequential. Only the beginning, when we see the ginger boy battered and bloody collapsing behind a dirt hill, do we see a short glimpse of the future. This story did not take place over months or years, but in one day.
There was not much hybridization in the art form, aside from the fact that this was a music paired with video. One great aspect was how the video did not seem superfluous in regards with the song. While the song is good, the music video only compounds that, as it manages to mystify and prompt us into reading the lyrics for a double meaning.
Because this was a music video, this was not an interactive form of art. The most form interaction we can participate in is the empathy we feel for these characters living such an inexplicably haunting life.
Physically, the camera's point of view stayed at eye level, though the camera was not smooth at all times. Often it felt prying, the camera acting as a person who lurked on the outside looking in.
Honestly, I believe that the musicians created the video because it was a single. Though, there is something to be said for artistic expression, and how Spike Jones did not hide that he was, in fact, inspired by the band. Their lyrics must have prompted him to make a music video such as this. Themes of regret, of loss, and of temporal and uneasy happiness pervade the video. Because these themes do not reflect positively nor negatively on Gospel Values, it cannot be said if it is accordance with them or not.
War torn countries or those being steadily demolished by their ruling powers may have influenced this video. Many people, specifically those in developed countries, are desensitized and unable to connect to the horrific images we see of wars around the world. They see wars as something they read in history books, not a history that is being made in many places worldwide. Maybe the thought of our comparatively boring (suburban life is nearly synonyms with boredom, after all) life- and I say that not to crassly downplay the atrocities performed on millions, but as a extremely simplified description for the sole purpose of this blog post- compared to that of other countries made an interesting contrast. It is possible he simply wanted to see these two cultures- this militant, totalitarian culture and our more stable, pacified culture- collide.
The whole video was slightly washed out in colour, its paleness adding to its ominous feel. The ways the teens were with each other seemed normal, from the way the weaved their bikes close together, to that one couple who kept to themselves just on the edge of your group. Storyline was a bit dodgy, as we really don't know anything other than what we are seeing, but it was well-executed regardless. The only special effects that were added were the armoured helicopters that flew in the sky as the kids watched on, and while it wasn't quite realistic, it only made the video more surreal. The lyrics seem do go hand-in-hand with the video with lines like /But by the time the first bombs fell/We were already bored/. The music's eerie quality further agreed with the lyrics and video, being its main driving and unifying force. The visuals enhanced the song for me, making the song more fascinating to listen to with the corresponding video.
I enjoy this song more because of this music video. I do not see myself putting this on my iPod, but I do see myself stopping myself and watching the music video if it came on the boob tube. The music video appealed to me more than the song did, to be frank. I definitely enjoy the song more now that I've seen the video, and picture it whenever I hear it played simply to remember the emotions I feel when watching the music video.
Simply because a) more music can't hurt, and b) I was debating between these two songs and something extremely old school (Bohemian Rhapsody maybe... Wonder what drivel I can pull up from that music video), here is another music video that intrigued me:
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