Matthew Dalby Love the Way You Lie Music Video Analysis

Analysing Professional Music Video Texts:

Track Title:

Love the Way You Lie

Song Genre: Band/Artist Name: Single Release Date:

Hardcore Hip Hop

Eminem ft. Rihanna

17th August 2010 (USA)

FEATURES

OBSERVATIONS/EXAMPLES
When Rihanna is singing, the narrative becomes less tense and so the pace of the editing is softened. However, as Eminem starts to rap, the violence in the narrative begins and so the editing becomes faster paced. The fire used as a special effect links to the lyrics when Rihanna compares the relationship as to herself burning but then also goes on to suggest that she enjoys it because of the sexual aspect (which is quite a common attribute in modern pop/hip hop music videos). The music very much matches the narrative of the music video because the music gains pace as the story is told to the viewer through the visual. There are chapters to the narrative to the music video as the audience see how the relationship progresses. There are mainly close-ups of Rihanna more than Eminem and this could be to portray her femininity and to gain the audiences attention to her and the female viewpoint of the love/hate situation. The majority of shots that are focused on Rihanna are close ups and the Male Gaze can be applied

OVERALL EFFECT
Immediately, the audience begin to make assumptions that it is the male characters fault that the violence occurs (because of the mid-shot of Cindys number on his hand). The audience can then see that this is a love/hate relationship between the two characters and that Rihanna represents the female character (Megan Fox) and Eminem is singing in the males perspective (Dominic Monaghan).

GENRE CHARACTERISTICS

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE LYRICS AND VISUALS

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE MUSIC AND VISUALS

These chapters match the breakdown of the verses to the song and the chorus. The rapping also is when the violence is generated in the visual and so the audience gain a link between street culture and violence. This could maybe be a technique to show that the woman is more affected by the love/hate relationship and that the audience should feel more sympathetic towards the female character. Because Rihanna is using a suggestive look towards the audience, this could be used to

ARE THERE CLOSE-UPS OF THE ARTIST AND STAR IMAGE MOTIFS? IS THERE REFERENCE TO THE NOTION OF LOOKING?

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Matthew Dalby Love the Way You Lie Music Video Analysis
to this because she has the suggestive look. increase repeatability because it makes the audience feel more involved with the narrative. This music video could be the basis Musical Synaesthesia the piano for a film because the audience is the dominant musical see the two characters progress as instrument at the beginning but individuals and shows that their then the drum dominate the relationship simply does not work. musical arrangement creating a There is a hint that the tenser mood and generates more relationship completely falls apart interest into the narrative because at the end because of the setting the audience do not know what behind Rihanna throughout (of the the outcome of the relationship house of fire). There is also the will be until the end. This also taps shot of the female character into the audiences prior holding fire in her hands which knowledge of street culture could link to the saying playing because it has links towards with fire because of the volatile violence and rapping and so the state of the relationship. narrative can be enhanced and then increased repeatability. Overall, I think that this music video goes into the category of amplification because the artists are not actually involved in the narrative themselves they are outsides describing the characters impact. However, towards the end of the song, Eminem becomes involved because he himself sets alight and flames consume him. This then illustrates the lyrics and visualises the whole impact of the narrative just by this visual metaphor.

INTERTEXTUAL REFERENCES

CATEGORY (ILLUSTRATION/ AMPLIFICATION/ DISJUNCTURE)

SCREENSHOT OF MUSIC VIDEO ASPECT

EXPLANATION/ANALYSIS
STAR IMAGE MOTIFS A reoccurring thing that seems to run through all of Eminems work is the font in which he uses for his name on the album covers/advertisements and sometimes in his music videos. This creates a regular brand that the audience can look for because when they see his name in that font, then they can be aware that they know that it is his genuine work. Another reoccurring action that Eminem does in his music videos is reaches out to either the camera or out to an invisible point in the distance. I think that this amplifies the rap/hip hop aspect of his songs because rap is about society and it is as if he is reaching out to the audience because the majority of his songs have a good meaning behind them.

(Low Angled Shot from Love the Way You Lie Music Video)

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Matthew Dalby Love the Way You Lie Music Video Analysis (Long Shot from Not Afraid Music Video) LIGHTING The backlighting through the curtains in this shot could signify hope (a ray of hope). The mise en scene in this shot looks slightly odd because the curtains are drawn (and it is clearly light) and yet the lamps are on to give the rooms light. This could suggest that the relationship is artificial; like the lighting in the room and that they are blocking out any outside help to solve their problems. SPECIAL EFFECTS The fire that Megan Fox is holding could imply that she is playing with fire by being in the relationship with him and so the audience see that the relationship is unstable and that they need help to resolve it.

(Shot from Love the Way You Lie Music Video)

In conclusion, the reason that I have analysed this music video is because I wanted to look into one that has a good and strong narrative but still has that performance aspect to it (by Rihanna using the suggestive gaze to the audience). The lightning goes from very dark (during the close ups of Rihanna near the burning building) to very bright when Eminem is standing outside in the cornfield. This gives the audience a chance to assume their own opinions of the characters because at first Rihanna and the female character seem to be innocent (because of the shot of the male picking up alcohol), but the lighting being very dark and the light source being the flames can give the audience mixed opinions and therefore increases the repeatability because every viewing of it creates a different perception of the characters. I think that the opinion aspect of the narrative corresponds to other music videos of the hip hop genre because many people have different views on that genre of music depending on the persons background (age, class, ethnicity and gender). Hopefully, this analysis will give me inspiration when trying to decide on a narrative for my own music video (because I want to include a visual plotline) and this may represent me as being someone that wants to be more creative in the mise en scene as well as the lighting, editing and cinematography.

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