Final analysis of music video

The final music video that I have chosen to analyse is “Born slippy” by underworld. This is another interesting and relevant video that has given me ideas for my own piece.
I found this song particularly interesting because it serves as a representation of a particular culture, perhaps why it has been heralded as an anthem. The song was released in the late 90’s, and is a representation of the hedonistic culture of the time, this decade also marked the beginning of what has long been referred to as the binge drinking culture. The rave scene was very popular and drug abuse was rife; and the song and music video contain many strong representations of this.
It initially becomes apparent that the male protagonist is not intended to be the person singing the song therefore, suggesting that the song is intended to be a soundtrack for what is occurring in the video or, that the actions of the man in the video are a reaction to the song. This is highlighted through the non correspondence of him mouthing “I love you” with the lyrics of the song. The visual aspects of the video appear to chronicle a man’s descent into madness whilst listening to the song, connoting a sense that he is a visual representation of the message that the song is trying to portray, this being the price of excess. This is something that I would like to mirror in my own piece.
There are many suggestions throughout the video that you are being told a story or even a parable; the editing being the most prominent. There is a rippling effect used in parts which seems to represent the turning of a page. Words are also imposed onto the image in a printed style giving the sense of almost reading a story.
I believe that the man in the video is intended to be a broad representation of the culture at that time as a whole and the whole video acts as a medium to represent his state of mind and this is represented through several editing techniques such as the random colour change from bright with a rosy hue to very dull and washed out which may denote the rapid mood swings that those who took ecstasy during the 90’s described having felt. The use of blurred point of view shots are a more blunt and straightforward representation of the protagonists state of mind, clearly portraying him to be under the influence of something. The man’s obviously restless state of mind is also highlighted through the mese en scene, particularly the protagonist’s attire, this being scruffy and ill-kempt, this again adds to the connotations about society in general and the life of excess.
There is also a sense of comic irony during the song reflecting the popularisation of a culture that did not take itself too seriously, this is shown at the beginning of the song when the protagonist is mouthing I love you at the camera, the audience then naturally assumes he is singing to a woman however, video then cuts to a shot of a cup of beer, that has been edited to emit a golden glow; it soon becomes apparent that the protagonist is expressing his love of beer and by default the lifestyle that he has chosen.
As the song progresses and the drum beat becomes quicker and heavier which is then mirrored by the quick cuts becoming more erratic, this is representative of the protagonist’s state of mind becoming more and more confused as a result of his lifestyle. This ever more erratic state of mind is suggested through the shots of him banging his head, this being a classic and sign of perceived insanity. However, the drum beats may also represent the fast paced culture of the time.
The lyrics seem to document a night out and reflect youth culture at the time
“shouting lager...”
“So many things to see and do”
The lines which pass across the screen throughout the video initially seem to have no meaning however, when the words “Tottenham court road” also appear alongside them it suggests that they are to represent the tube lines which also corresponds with the idea that the song is chronicling a night out .
The ‘ravers’ for whom this song would have been intended were infamous for their substance abuse so the seemingly nonsensical lyrics may be representative of the confusion and disconnected stream of thoughts that people from that era describe experiencing during the aftermath of drug abuse.
One aspect in particular that I find interesting in this video are the recurring images of a sinister man, it almost seems as if the protagonist is being haunted. This is definitely a theme that I would like to incorporate into my own film.