Analysing "The Kill (Bury Me)" Music Video

Analysing the

“The Kill (Bury Me)” Music Video

CAMERA

·      Many wide shots: shows the size of the hotel and how empty it is. Gives a sense of mystery and fear.

·      High-angle close-up of Jared Leto singing up at us. It is as if he is singing to a more dominant presence.

·      Quite controlled, no out-of-control handheld shots – sense of normality brings a more ghostly effect.

·      Slow-moving shots, usually going forward, adds to the ghostly effect as well as build up tension.

·      The Visitors do not have any close-ups until they ‘become one’ with their doubles.

·      Their doubles are given many close-ups, suggesting they are more ‘real’ than the Visitors.

·      Lower angles for the instruments but not for the players’ faces. The instruments dominate them.

·      Low-angle wide of the exterior of the hotel – a scary and superior presence.

·      Shots inside the hotel are often high- or mid-angled for that spectral presence either to be dominant of or to dominate the Visitors.

·      Split-screen cinematography to create the illusion of doubling a character.

EDITING

·      Very rapid cuts of ghosts in-sync with the tempo of the song – the images give off a feeling of overwhelmingness, confusion and fear.

·      Many shot/reverse shots to display the reaction of characters – which brings us to their level.

·      Mirror-image effect to provide a surreal, psychedelic atmosphere suiting the idea of ghostly doubles (which also gives a sense of monstrosity).

·      Fade transitions toward the end – giving a sense of death and conclusion. The music suddenly cuts out and the last fade is extended. DEATH.

·      Title cards to give a sense of plot and narrative – very sudden and unexpected. Brings fear.

·      The sound at the beginning seems to be a loud wind – but connotes a ghostly fear.

·      Typical horror film music to establish the genre of the video.

·      A loud bell synchronising the different shots of the hotel together. Apart from the orchestra, nothing else can be heard within the film. The bell seems rather medieveal in so modern an interior. Gives off the sense of a gothic horror scenario.

·      Edits between the Visitors and the Doubles – we follow both kinds of characters but one is more mysterious than the other.

MISE EN SCENE

·      Location

Empty hotel – a very spooky setting.

Outside the hotel seems smaller than the inside, giving off a sense of the supernatural. It is also far more gothic than the interior.

·      Costume

The Visitors wear black clothing, eyeliner and nail varnish. Their whole image is gothic.

Emoish because of the long, black hair of Jared Leto and Tomo Milicevic.

Doubles wear 1920s tuxedos – reference to the happenings of the Overlook Hotel in The Shining.

·      Props

Skateboard – used by Tomo to glide around the hotel, similar to Danny and his tricycle in The Shining. It also gives us the sense that this character is quite rebellious.

Bouncing Ball – used by Jared Leto to throw at the walls. Quite aggressive. The sound of the ball marks a transition in the narrative.

Typewriter used to show madness.

REPRESENTATIONS

·      Women seem to be only good for sexual activities: woman in bath towel kissing a performer, two lesbians kissing each other. Fits in with Laura Mulvey’s male gaze theory.

·      Women are the only ones who are brutally killed.

·      Men are dominant in this video – have a superiority over women. Men wear black or dark colours, women wear much lighter colours. This coul connote a difference in strength.

GENRE

·      Post-prog

·      Alternative rock

·      Emo

·      Post-hardcore

INTERTEXTUALITY

This video conforms with Goddwin’s theory of intertextuality with its copying of the The Shining’s plotline as well as the set design, props and actiosn of the characters.

AUDIENCE

·      Teenagers

The gothic and rebellious feel of the video.

The horror film aspect

·      Men

There are only male protagonists in the piece with women taking part in sexual activities.

·      White Americans

No black people or foreigners in the video.

·      The emo culture

Contains the emo look.