Analysis of ‘Noel Gallagher – The death of you and me’ music video
The music video that I am going to analyse is 'the death of you and me' by 'Noel Gallagher'. The song was released on the 19th of August 2011 from the album 'Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds'. The length of the song is 3:36 and the video is 4:02. The album was released on the label sour mash records and the song was written by Noel Gallagher, and the video produced by Noel Gallagher and Dave Sardy. I have decided to analyse this music video because ...
The video starts with a black screen, while lots of bright lights are flashing, this happens for 5 seconds, this is before the music has started it give the audience the effect of an old style camera starting up ready to film.
The first shot you see is an old fashioned petrol station, you can tell this as the paint is cracking and peeling and the sign has begun to rust and the windows are dirty, this is the style that you would expect to see in America, maybe on a road like route 66. While the camera is still it seems like there has been a wave effect put on the shot, so it looks like a heat wave showing the video is set somewhere hot. The station seems to be placed in the middle of nowhere with lots of desert around with the background looking dry and mostly made up of sand with no other buildings around for miles; this is a feature of route 66 when it passes through the Arizona desert. As this is the first place the audience see, it suggests that the video is going to be set inside the station, the camera zooms in on the station implying that we are going to look inside.
There is then a dissolve, which could suggest dreaming or fantasy. The shot then shows an old and dirty window on the same station (you can tell this by the colour of the paintwork). A girl is then seen through the window wearing a blue dress that contrasts with the green paintwork of the building, as this is the first character that the audience see it seems like she is going to be the main character of the video, you can also hear a sound effect of a car, showing that the station is still in use and someone has arrived. As she walks away from the window the song begins to start and also the camera begins to pan over the roof of the station showing the surrounding area sandy hills and a few small trees that are not very green also no animals showing the dry baron area where the station is placed. It the continues to pan and show the name of the station last chance maybe this is suggesting it is the women’s last chance do to something. The camera shows a mid-shot which shows part of the stations windows, the camera then stops on one window and begins to zoom in, you then see Noel Gallagher, as both the women in the blue dress and Noel are shown in quick succession it suggests that as she was leaving the window they will then see each other and they will both collide to create the videos narrative.
The camera is still looking through the window as you can see the reflection of outside it helps the audience establish were they are as in the reflection you can see a large cactus and the empty landscape. The camera has now become stationary and settles on Noel, you can now see inside an American style dinner the audience can tell this because of the ketchup and mustard bottles which we don’t have in Britain and also the style of seating and booths. The diner is very busy all of these factors help the audience place where the music video is set. In the background over his shoulder you see the young blonde women who was at the window hands him a cup of coffee, he looks at her and smiles but he then carries on with his work. This shows the audience that the woman is a waitress at the diner.
The camera moves inside of the diner, The audience look like they are sat opposite noel at the table, the next shot starts off with a close up looking at the table where you can see a pair of hands, on the left hand is a distinctive ring on his wedding finger, this might symbol why he did not take much interest in the attractive waitress as he is married, and in the other he is holding a pen and writing in a notebook. The camera starts to tilts upwards until it reaches his face; he is looking out of the window the camera was looking through previously. Just as his full face comes into shot there is another dissolve, showing that Noel may be dreaming or thinking. Just after the dissolve and the shot moves on the lyrics of the song begin to start.
The next shot shows an old fashioned wooden carriage that is been pulled by large black horses, the look of the carriage may help the audience indicate a time period for the video. There are people walking alongside the carriage the viewers may associate this with the New Orleans bands which travel from city to city to play their music to people. As the carriage continues to be pulled along the sun shines on the camera however it looks like the film has been edited so all the colours look saturated apart from red.
There is then a jump cut to a mid-shot of the waitress as she is halfway through turning round, showing a tired smile this shows the audience she is in a rush and fed up. She is carrying a plate to a man at another table, he looks at her strangely and starts to smile he is not very attractive but is showing the audience that he has an interest in the women it also tells the audience about people she has to deal with every day, giving the audience more of an idea about the characters background, this helps to develop the narrative of the video. He keeps smiling at her and she is politely smiling back until it becomes awkward and she understands what he’s trying to do, she then stops smiling and looks more scared. The camera then jumps back to the horses that are still pulling the vintage looking carriage, it keeps jumping between them until the line ‘the thoughts of going under’ it then shows the waitress in a small swimming pool with her head going under the water, her dress matches the colour of her uniform these both symbol that she could be drowning within her life or job. A new scene overlaps the last maybe showing that the waitress and the character in the overlapping scene will meet each other in the new shot the camera is at a low angle and looking over the shoulder of the driver of the carriage the sun is shining into the camera so you can only see the man’s outline.
As the drums become more significant and upbeat there is a jump cut back to the waitress who is once again looking out the window, just like the start of the video the editing is non-continuous as in this scene she looks dry like she was never in the swimming pool maybe this is because that scene was a metaphor of how she is feeling. The camera is slowly zooming towards her so the audience can see her emotions as she is looking sad and bored. Another jump cut shows a red headed woman who is also wearing a dress similar to the waitress, showing she also works in the diner, the scene is shot in slow motion and shows her blinking and also looking bored, and she starts to tilt her head like she is looking at something.
The next scene is a wide shot showing a long dusty track and at the end of the track you see the horses and carriage with a group of people in front who are leading them, they all appear to be dressed in black, this could connote an old fashioned funeral when the hearse was still pulled by horses instead of a car and in new Orleans it is tradition to have a jazz band to slowly march you to the funeral and quick march you back to the reception. As the band seem to be walking fast and dancing around this could show the death of someone/something has already occurred and they are on their way back to the party.
The next scenes show other customers in the diner, they are filmed in the same way the red headed waitress was at a close up shot and all in slow motion, blinking and turning their heads to look at something. As the audience cannot see the windows or what the people are looking at they begin to assume that the carriage and band must be on its way towards the diner. The video then jumps back to the waitress who has her arms folded and looking down, this shows the audience her frustration you can once again see the reflection in the window of cacti and trees as the line ‘I can see the storm clouds sucking up my soul’ are sung she begins to take her apron off and throws it down, this shows the audience she is angry and frustrated she then turns to walk away from the window. The camera then begins to lift up showing the top of the dirty windows and the crumbling paint work. There is then another dissolve to the jazz band and carriage it then shows us a low angle close up of the trumpet players who are dancing along side the carriage.
It then goes back to one of the first shot we saw showing Noel continuing to write in his notepad at this point the camera is handheld as it wobbles a little. In the notepad when looked carefully he is writing down the lyrics to one of his other songs ‘AKA what a life’ this could be hinting to the audience how or where he was when he got the inspiration for the song. The camera still handheld jumps to a close up of Noels face where it tilts down till you can see the top of his pen. The video then jumps back to the band with an extreme close up on the horses you can see they have feathers on their heads which shows the extravagance of the band and their carriage. The carriage has pans ad other utensils tied to it showing that someone must live in the carriage. The camera then becomes stationary as the carriage goes on past, this might give the audience the feeling that they are stood at the side of the track watching them go past.
The next shot is a long shot showing the edge of a swimming pool and in slow motion a side door of the station opens and the waitress steps out of it then the scene quickly jumps and she is near the edge of the pool this may be so the audience don’t get bored by watching her walk. When the music begins to be upbeat again it there is a jump cut to the top of a red stool, where you see a foot that the audience will recognise to be the waitresses. It then jump cuts quickly, however the scenes are edited in slow motion the audience see shots they have seen before should as the customers in the diner, the band, the horses and the waitress stood at the edge of the pool while at the she begins to turn around it then shows her feet stood on the bar again she also begins to turn. She is then shown with her arms spread out wide both on the bar and at the edge of the pool, while she is doing this she looks like Jesus on the cross. There is then a high angle shot looking straight down on to her as she is still in this pose, you can now see more of the pool, reminding the viewers that it is there, as it is zooming out it jumps to the waitresses chest you can only see part of her neck and shoulders you then see a hand with the same distinctive ring it then zooms out and becomes an over the shoulder shot. The scene then changes as we are looking the opposite way and we can see Noel’s face and the waitress falling backwards. You then see a mid shot of the waitress on the bar as she has started to fall backwards their too. The audience might perceive this a seeing Noel as a ‘god like’ figure as he is wearing white which is usually seen as pure and the lighting is focused on him making him stand out in the scene. There is then an aerial shot showing her landing in the pool, this could be trying to represent when an adult is being baptised as they are pushed by the priest into the pool of water, the water is supposed to clean their soul and get rid of the sins they may have committed. In this case it could be Noel the ‘god like’ figure who is trying to get rid of the waitresses worries. It then shows the singer with his arm still out stretched with water unrealistically heading towards his face, and even though it appears to hit his face he doesn’t get wet. Telling the audience he may actually be living him to his ‘god’ like label.
The narrative still continues as the video once again shows the red headed waitress, as the diner’s chef whispers something into her ear, she then looks mad and pushes him away. It then shows one of the band member’s feet dancing around on the sandy track his shoes are the American flag re-establishing to the audience that the video is set in America. The waitress then emerges from the water when the line ‘I see another new day’ is sung the scene is filmed un-continuous so the audience don’t become bored of watching her climbing out of the swimming pool. The next scene is a mid shot filming the band from behind you can see the half of two members, the sun is setting so you only see their outline, this is connoting to the audience that the day is ending, and the video may becoming to an end.
There is a mid-shot of a doorway the waitress is seen walking back in her dress is soaking wet, showing the audience some continuity. As she walks in a man walks past and looks her oddly as he does not understand why she is wet. We then jump back to Noel who is sitting at the same booth as before he glances towards her and carries on writing in his notebook, this could be saying that his music is more important. However this lacks continuity for the audience as it looks like he never left the booth to push her in the pool. There is a wide shot with the red headed waitress and customers looking at the women in shock and confusion at the fact her clothes are wet. She then leaves the station from the door at the front, she then lays on the building at this part the trumpets within the song have started to play, the waitress begins to smile for the first time in the video. There is then a wide shot where you are looking over the waitresses shoulder, you can see the end of the track and the band have started to appear, it then jumps to the diner windows where the first time you see the words ‘hero sandwich’ close up, this may symbol that the band are the hero’s. In the diner everybody has rushed to the booths and is crowding to look out the windows. When it jumps back the band are already in front of the station, the band are all dressed in black with red accessories and instruments they all look quite gothic connoting that the band may have a bad side. It has a close up of the waitresses face as she now is starting to look excited. There is a high angle shot of the band, so you can see them all and the carriage, this is the first time in the video that you have been able to see all the band members fully, before it was just close up’s on their faces or bodies this could be telling the audience that now the waitresses and the customers can see them fully, the viewers are allowed to also. As the song finishes the band come to a stop in front of the station the camera is placed low down so you can see the carriage door and the waitress’s top half of her leg. She then walks towards the carriage everything is silent apart from her footsteps which are deafening in the silence. She then goes down the diner steps and you can see the top half of her body she carries on walking towards the carriage, she then stops to have a look and the door creakily opens, she walks straight towards the door, it then shows the diner windows were people are still straining to see what is going on, It then shoes a close up of the waitress who then climbs in to the dark vintage carriage. The video is then sped up while the carriage door slams shut. It then jumps to a black screen with a bold fancy white text saying to be continued …
This makes the audience excited for the next Noel Gallagher single as they will want to know what happens to the waitress. |
| These are the statistics on the music video, I found this on YouTube and it discusses about the audiences gender, location and how they found the music video. |
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