Textual Analysis 2...

Coldplay - The Scientist

Coldplay are an indie/rock band who are a little bit different with their style of music video's, this is because they are an indie and rock band who stereotypical reject society's ideologies and create their own rebellious ones.

The narrative of this music video is that the man and woman were in a car crash where the woman is killed by going through the windscreen, the man then runs into a town and ends up laying on an old mattress in the middle of a busy city. The whole music video is in reverse.

The opening shot:
Chris Martin lays on a mattress in a white t shirt and black trousers and shoes. We see a extreme close up of Chris Martins face, this slowly pans out, at this point we are not aware that the music video is in reverse, it is only at 0:35 that we realise that it is in reverse however this is a clever effect because Chris Martins mouth is still going forward and lip synicing the actual words. This makes the music video alot more interesting to watch.

The video then travels back in time with Chris Martin still singing normally, this then takes us to a basket ball court where all the shots are reversed, however in a strange way this sort of fits in as at first it does look like the editing is not in reverse. Although this has nothing to do with the music video itself it is just an interesting sequence to watch and helps develop the plot within the non-chronological narrative.

Everything for the video has been filmed in chronological order where the director has created a narrative, however to add to the audience's intrest this has been reversed. Although I do not particularly want to use this idea within my own story board I do think it is an interesting technique.

The thing I am taking from this music video which I wish to create in my own is the fact of a strong narrative between a relationship, a man and a woman. I also would like my narrative to be based around a murder therefore I have looked at this music video to see how the director has chosen to represent a death as I wish to do this sensitively and with care. In this music video although both of the characters at first seem equal, the underlying meanings do not represent the same ideology. As the man is driving, this could represent that he has control over the situation.