Music Video Analysis:
Bring Me Back To Life – Evanescence
Bring Me Back To
Life is a music video that is very conventional of the Rock genre, due to many
themes present throughout the video linking it to the genre. The video opens
with a sweeping pan of a fictional city, which the video is set. This is important
due to the song is part of the soundtrack for the movie ‘Daredevil’, a
superhero movie; the extreme long shot of the city is commonly used in films to
ensure the audience know were the film is set. The video uses this to link the
song to the movie, as the same extreme long shot is used in the movie. Jason
Mittell states this is used to sell products by using common themes or
intertextual references to attract audience. Tim O'Sullivan argues that all
media texts tell a story, a simple but correct idea. But he also states that
this story is based off our cultural ideologies, which according to David
Buckingham 'is in constant process of negotiation and change.'
The narrative strand which follows ‘Amy Lee’ has the most analytical potential. It starts with Amy in her bed, this opening shot shows the audience to view her asleep in bed, and the covers are tangled up with her limbs, implying a restless sleep. This simple shot is intercut with her falling. This has had substantial post-production changes added to it, the visual effects include blur, manipulating colour, was used to create a feeling that she was falling at a very fast rate. The cuts back to Amy in the bed are close-ups illustrate her distress at this dream/nightmare.
Andrew Goodwin theory of ‘Thought Beats’ are ever-present throughout this video. Amy is ‘Woken’ when the line ‘Bring Me Back To Life’ is sung by the band. Showing an illicit connection between the lyrics and the actions performed on the video, meaning that this video is defined as an ‘Amplification’ video. One could argue these shots of Amy sleeping are voyeuristic, as she does not acknowledge the camera, but this is known as the fourth wall within films. Andrew Goodwin states that voyeurism is more heavily present in video following a female, as it can perceive in a sexual context, the use of mirrors or through mediums such as TV screens or glass amplifies this exhibitionist perception. Amy’s narrative strand follows the same principles, none of these mediums are used, neither are the shots framed by furniture or doorframes, thus rendering any theory of voyeurism or sexual objectification void, in regards to the opening scene.
Once Amy reaches the ledge outside of the window, the cuts become quicker, as the songs pace increases. The two narratives become more intricately linked as common sights are seen in both become more explicit. As Amy climbs higher, she encounters a house party. All the party guests are wearing clown masks, implying concealment of one self or ones intentions, an underlying theme expressed in the song. The same party can be seen for the band’s point of view, suggesting that the two narratives are happening simultaneously. The Party is symbolic of many themes represented in the song; more simplistic meaning is the contrast to the room next to the party, which Amy past earlier. The family there were silent, and of a different age group, compared to the party, but are experiencing the same emotional turmoil. All the rooms Amy passes can be seen as representation of her emotions, thus implying that her climb to the top of the building is a metaphorical. The meaning of this metaphorical climb is very vague, this maybe a marketing ploy. The recording companies are trying to reach as many viewers as possible with each song released, David Guatlett states that artists play with the idea of identity, this allows for each song to mean 100 different things, thus reaching many many more people than the original meaning and song would have.
Amy’s attire is quite scares in this video as she has just woken up. She is only wearing a white nightgown; can represent nativity and/or innocence, showing Amy in this light amplifies the power of the nightmare. Laura Mulvey believes that there is a simplistic reason for Amy’s attire, sexual objectification, her theory follows the ‘Male Gaze’, which suggests that the camera and mise en scene is used to emphasise the more desirable area of a woman’s body. This is present in this video due to the revealing nature of Amy nightgown, but this is very subtly done. Unlike other genres of music such as the hit song and music video ‘Call On Me’, the Male Gaze is the major selling point of the video. In ‘Bring Me Back To Life’ the use of the Male Gaze is very scares and even when present very subtly used, as the camera angles can be construed as provocative, I cannot detest to the use of revealing clothing but Amy did not entice the viewer or display any promiscuous movements. Hence the description as 'suitably '.
Todorov narrative theory can only be partly applied to this music video, his theory is more suited to film and TV as it takes time for his five stages to be expressed. As a more simplistic approach must be taken for it to beapplied
to music videos; Equilibrium- Disequilibrium- New Equilibrium. In regards to
'Bring Me Back To Life' the equilibrium is balanced as she is safe in bed, it
is upset when she has the vivid nightmare and climbs out the window. The equilibrium
does not change, is returns to the earlier state. Making the video a circular
narrative and directing contradicting Todorov.
By Alex
Preston
The narrative strand which follows ‘Amy Lee’ has the most analytical potential. It starts with Amy in her bed, this opening shot shows the audience to view her asleep in bed, and the covers are tangled up with her limbs, implying a restless sleep. This simple shot is intercut with her falling. This has had substantial post-production changes added to it, the visual effects include blur, manipulating colour, was used to create a feeling that she was falling at a very fast rate. The cuts back to Amy in the bed are close-ups illustrate her distress at this dream/nightmare.
Andrew Goodwin theory of ‘Thought Beats’ are ever-present throughout this video. Amy is ‘Woken’ when the line ‘Bring Me Back To Life’ is sung by the band. Showing an illicit connection between the lyrics and the actions performed on the video, meaning that this video is defined as an ‘Amplification’ video. One could argue these shots of Amy sleeping are voyeuristic, as she does not acknowledge the camera, but this is known as the fourth wall within films. Andrew Goodwin states that voyeurism is more heavily present in video following a female, as it can perceive in a sexual context, the use of mirrors or through mediums such as TV screens or glass amplifies this exhibitionist perception. Amy’s narrative strand follows the same principles, none of these mediums are used, neither are the shots framed by furniture or doorframes, thus rendering any theory of voyeurism or sexual objectification void, in regards to the opening scene.
Once Amy reaches the ledge outside of the window, the cuts become quicker, as the songs pace increases. The two narratives become more intricately linked as common sights are seen in both become more explicit. As Amy climbs higher, she encounters a house party. All the party guests are wearing clown masks, implying concealment of one self or ones intentions, an underlying theme expressed in the song. The same party can be seen for the band’s point of view, suggesting that the two narratives are happening simultaneously. The Party is symbolic of many themes represented in the song; more simplistic meaning is the contrast to the room next to the party, which Amy past earlier. The family there were silent, and of a different age group, compared to the party, but are experiencing the same emotional turmoil. All the rooms Amy passes can be seen as representation of her emotions, thus implying that her climb to the top of the building is a metaphorical. The meaning of this metaphorical climb is very vague, this maybe a marketing ploy. The recording companies are trying to reach as many viewers as possible with each song released, David Guatlett states that artists play with the idea of identity, this allows for each song to mean 100 different things, thus reaching many many more people than the original meaning and song would have.
Amy’s attire is quite scares in this video as she has just woken up. She is only wearing a white nightgown; can represent nativity and/or innocence, showing Amy in this light amplifies the power of the nightmare. Laura Mulvey believes that there is a simplistic reason for Amy’s attire, sexual objectification, her theory follows the ‘Male Gaze’, which suggests that the camera and mise en scene is used to emphasise the more desirable area of a woman’s body. This is present in this video due to the revealing nature of Amy nightgown, but this is very subtly done. Unlike other genres of music such as the hit song and music video ‘Call On Me’, the Male Gaze is the major selling point of the video. In ‘Bring Me Back To Life’ the use of the Male Gaze is very scares and even when present very subtly used, as the camera angles can be construed as provocative, I cannot detest to the use of revealing clothing but Amy did not entice the viewer or display any promiscuous movements. Hence the description as 'suitably '.
Todorov narrative theory can only be partly applied to this music video, his theory is more suited to film and TV as it takes time for his five stages to be expressed. As a more simplistic approach must be taken for it to be
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