Character representation: Lover of the Light

By Mumford and Sons

Information
Indie-folk track by Mumford and Sons.
Released as the second single from their second studio album Babel (2012). Indie-folk is a type of acoustic genre, which although targets a somewhat niche audience with an Indie lifestyle, is an increasingly popular genre.

Uploaded onto YouTube 4th November 2012 . Released in the UK the next day with Island Records and 18th December the same year in USA.
YouTube is a global video platform, which is globally accessible; increasing the bands popularity and viewings. Tried to entice an American audience, who have a strong connection to countyfolk.

Directed by British actor Idris Elba, who also stars in the music video.
Played roles in a number of American and British Television Dramas such as the eponymous hero Luther and Stinger Bell in The Wire.

Narrative
The narrative centres around a blind protagonist who ditches his cane and runs free through the British countryside. The music video is an open text (Barthes code) as it ends with the protagonist shouting at the edge of the cliff; allowing the audience to develop their own interpretation on what happens.
Music videos are simply an extension of the lyrics (Andrew Goodwin)

From 2:10-2:30 in the music video, the lyrics reflect the fact that the protagonist tries to maintain his pride and strives to be independent:
I know I've tried I was not stable And flawed by pride I miss my sanguine eyes So hold my hands up -- breathe in, and breathe out

This follows Goodwins theory that the action within the music video should reflect the meaning of the lyrics in order to emphasise the tracks meaning.

Character
Mumford and Sons challenge conventions of acoustic (indie/folk) music videos by using a black protagonist who is blind:
The protagonist is black, which unlike the majority of acoustic (indie/folk) music videos use white performers and actors as it is easier to relate to their Caucasian target audience. Mumford and Sons challenge this aspect in order to accumulate a more racially diverse audience, by targeting a non-Caucasian demographic. Mumford and Sons also challenge the genre by making the protagonist blind as well as Black. This is ironic, due to the fact that light can only be experienced through vision, which the protagonist lacks as he is blind. On one level, this encourages the audience to pity him, as he wants what he can never get, which the majority of people take for granted. On another level, the light could be metaphorical for hope and enlightenment, which on the contrary makes the protagonist seem more able as it prompts the audience to admire his optimism and drive.
. .

Four months prior, the 2012 Paralympics took place, which helped raise disability awareness to prevent discriminatory and challenge the view that disabled people cannot amount to anything. The protagonist is essentially an extension of that message.

Camera, Editing and Lighting

Camera
There are constant close ups of the protagonists hands throughout the music video. On one level, this helps the audience to relate to the blind protagonist, as the close up of his hands reaching out and doing tasks highlights that his hands are his main tools to help him function daily. It also helps the protagonist to achieve a state of independence, which emphasises his courage and encourages the audience to admire him. On another level, the close ups of his hands highlights his isolation from the world, as his hands are his primary source of survival, which prompts the audience to emphasise with his lack of communication of the outer world.

Editing
Shot reverse shot of the blind protagonist to the deer is used to encourage the audience to relate the two. This suggests that the protagonist is vulnerable, as the deer is susceptible to danger and is near the bottom of the food chain; possibly reflecting the protagonists position within society as a second class citizen. Alternatively, it could be seen that the deer is somewhat of an independent creature. Shot reverse shot reinforces the protagonists desire to become autonomous and free (as reflected when he ditches his cane and runs free, as well as getting ready independently).

Lighting
Chiaroscuro lighting (0:57) is used to emphasise a sense of surrealism, which suggests that the protagonists existence is somewhat of a dream; inferring that he is somewhat incomplete. On another level, this emphasises a sense of otherness as it creates a binary opposition (Strauss) between the black protagonist and the white light pouring in, which on one level makes his stand out as a disabled person, but also as a black person. Constant creation of conflict/opposition drives narrative (Claude Levi Strauss)

Mise-en-scene
From 2:34-2:49, the protagonist looks blankly into the mirror, which is how people identify themselves by forming their ego as a result of a conflict between their physical and emotional appearance (according to Jaques Lacan). The use of the mirror within Lover of the Light is ironic, as the protagonist is blind and cannot see his reflection. This emphasises the protagonists isolation from not only the outside world, but from his own personal identity, which leads the audience to pity him. Mumford and Sons use literary influences within their music and music videos. The mirror within Lover of the Light links to the mirror within Tennysons Lady of Shalott:
And moving through a mirror clear That hangs before her all the year, Shadows of the world appear. There she sees the highway near Winding down to Camelot (Part II, Stanza 6, Lines 30 - 34)

Although the eponymous hero sees what she cannot experience (which is opposite to the protagonist in Lover of the Light, the mirror in both texts symbolise their isolation from the outside world. Both the characters are trapped in their own worlds, which encourages the audience to pity them both

How will Lover of the Light influence my music video (reminders)?

Like Lover of the Light, I am also going to challenge the conventions of acoustic music video characterisation, as one of my protagonists are black, which will hopefully entice a racially diverse demographic. The mirror within Lover of the Light has inspired me to utilise the idea of reflection, not only to challenge and test the protagonists identities, but to trigger memories and reflect on their actions, which is the main theme of the tracks lyrics. Also, the fact the band does not perform puts the audiences attention on strong narrative. This seems like a good idea, as the idea of an enigmatic artist/band entices the audience to research who they are.