analysis of music video

The Verve - Bitter Sweet Symphony

I have analysed the 1997 music video Bitter Sweet Symphony, by rockband The Verve in relation to narrative, genre, media language and representation.

Narrative
This video follows a conventional narrative linear structure, progressing in chronological order from where the lead singer starts his journey walking a busy high street, before eventually being joined by the rest of the band. The 'pavement journey' format was inspired by the music video for the Massive Attack song Unfinished Sympathy, in which Shara Nelson sings while walking through a Los Angeles neighbourhood. There is also a clear verse-chorus-verse structure. The disruption in the video comes where Richard Ashcroft (lead singer) refuses to change his stride or direction throughout, bumping into passers-by, oblivious to what is going on around him. The equilibrium is simply the band meeting up with Ashcroft at the end of the road. As the central artist, Ashcroft's position in the narrative are both participant and narrator. Participant as he is fully involved in whats going on in the video and narrator as he's lip syncing to the song. I believe The Verve have illustrated this video as the lyrics are simply saying how tough and bittersweet life is 'trying to make ends meet' and suggesting he's 'fading away'. The sinuglarity of the video captures a performance that tells us the way the singer feels about his surroundings.


Genre
The Verve are clearly a rock genre band however this paticular song I would say is more rock/indie as it doesn't include the conventional rock image including loud drums and instruments and madness going on. Instead the video is rather meloncony and located in an urban North London high street. The natural daylight lighting contributes to the sad feeling of the lyrics and video. Ashcroft looks quite unwashed and pale. He's dressed in an all black costume (typical rock colour black) including a leather coat which is also associated with this genre.

Media Language
The editing of this video is done well as Ashcroft's walking is edited in perfect timing to the beat of the music and affects the overall mood/feel of the video by being quite mellow yet very chilled and laid-back. However, I do not feel that the editing is conventional to this genre. As a rock/indie track its expected to be very fast including quick cuts and the repitition of action to speed up match cuts - but instead challenges the expected by editing in a more ballad-like form, smooth with slow steady cuts.

Representation Bitter Sweet Symphony is a music video which challenges stereotypical views of a rock/indie track and doesn't follow typical ideology features of a rock/indie band. We are encouraged, as viewers to identify with the lead singer as the camera is on him throughout. We see what he sees as he's the star of the video and therefore forced to identify with him.