'Ways To Go' by GroupLove analysis

How does the director inform and entertain in the music video ‘Ways to Go’ by ‘GroupLove’

 

The music video I have chosen to analyse is by the Rock/indie band ‘Grouplove’. The music promotions aim is clearly to entertain as a main purpose but also to inform as a secondary purpose as it shows the band very frequently, in a number of ways. The narrative behind the music video is very significant as it uses the concept of North Korea’s controversial dictatorship and uses it as a sort of parody. This is clearly shown as we see pictures of the main character in the narrative (the Korean child ) above where the band are playing and another one above his bed. The pictures are in the stereotypical propaganda style that North Korea imposes which again implies that this is meant to be a parody of Kim Jon-un’s life as a child.

 

Camera work is used very effectively in order to entertain and inform. Firstly. Camera work is used to show each member of the band in a number of different ways. Firstly there is a long shot right at the beginning of the video which shows all 5 band members having their instruments taken off them by Korean soilders. This shows the audience immediately who the band are.  After the title introduces the song and the name of the band, the lead singer starts singing and there is a zoom shot used which zooms into him and keeps the picture of the Korean child behind him, in the shot at the same time. This is very significant as the camera work has been used to inform the audience of the band but then also hints at the narrative at the same time. Soon after this there is a pan shot of the other singer. This again is used to inform the audience of the band members. After a shot of the main character in the narrative there are two shots in quick succession, which show the drummer and the bass player of the band. Both of these shots are panning shots. The first one gets closer to the drummer and the  second one moves away from the bass player. This again is an example of camerawork being used to inform the audience of the band members.

 

Camera work is also used effectively along with narrative in order to entertain.  Firstly at the beginning of the video we get a hint of the narrative straight away as we see siolders taking the instruments off the band members in a long shot and then a medium shot of a man holding a microphone instructing them to play another song. This instantly hints at the fact that they are being forced to do something and again plays on the idea of a parody of Kim Jon – Un’s life as a child. Soon after the band start singing camerawork is used to tell the audience the narrative instantly. As there is a close up shot of one the pictures of the main character and then a very fast cut to the next shot of the picture above his bed. After this there is another fast cut showing two military style speakers and the camera quickly zooms into them. This now tells the audience within 30 seconds of the video the base line of the narrative. That the band are being made to play for the child as he is important and powerful which is shown by the presence of soilders and pictures of him.  The slow motion tracking shot of the child as he walks into the wardrobe is very significant as it is the first sign that of the narrative being slightly different to what we might accept. After these shots, there is a close up of him picking up a shirt which is very brightly coloured compared to all of the smart dull military style shirts in the wardrobe next to it. Again this shows a slight twist in the narrative. Straight after this the shot then switches to a tracking shot as the child walks down the hall dancing the music. This again reinforces the parody style approach to the narrative and tells the audience that he is breaking all the stereotypes of a North Korean dictator as strict and hardline. Other significant shots include a close up shot of him unlocking the handcuffs of a prisoner. This again is used to show that the director is breaking all the stereo types of a ruthless dictator and instead shows him as a peaceful child. This is also shown with a symbolic close up of a barrel of a rifle in which he places a flower in the end. This is particularly significant as it confirms his nature and hints that this maybe what the current child of Kim Jon-Un is perhaps like or that this is what he was like as a child.
 

 

Mise-en-scene is also used very effectively in order to entertain. For example the costume that the child is wearing shows that he is choosing to do something different than what he normally does. The symbology of this could be the idea that we get up in the morning and we make a choice. A choice to do the same thing everyday or do something different. That choice can be a positive choice like the boy choosing the Hawaiian style shirt and happiness over that full closet of uniforms and hate and oppression.