((SO) Belated) Best Videos of 2009 – Part deux
Apologies for the delay in my end-of-the-year list! Many roadbumps…malfunctioning computer, started school again (master’s degree here I come!), stuff and things…I’ll be better about it, promise.
This second part of my review of 2009 videos focuses on narrative music videos. These videos tell stories which, upon a first viewing, appear to be just for shock value. But beneath the shock in each are artfully presented themes and dilemmas.
Bob Dylan – “Beyond Here Lies Nothing”
This video was a clip Bob Dylan did in conjunction with the Independent Film Channel (IFC). It shows. I’m including this clip not because it was recommended so highly by other top-whatever lists that I’ve been reading, but because I felt it move something inside me. My pulse sped and I felt like retching. I’m not the only one to react to viscerally; read any comment section about the video and you’ll see people torn about it. Is it art? What is its message? At first, I hated it. I think that’s a good immediate reaction to have. However, I was intrigued enough about it to read other discussions and have a couple of my own. In the end, I like it. It makes me think, not only about the song itself and the themes Dylan is dealing with in this track and the album as a whole, but I also considered the theme of domestic violence. This shit happens in real life, and in real life the abuse victim often returns to her abuser, even when she could easily get away. It’s the best kind of food for thought: it tastes awful, it’s hard to swallow, but boy howdy does it give you something to chew on.
Depeche Mode – “Wrong”
I’m sandwiching this once between the two denser videos. This is not to suggest it’s lighter – it’s the darkest, aesthetically, of the three – but it is less nuanced, I think. I was thrilled to hear that Depeche Mode had released a new music video; it’s been a while. I love how the look of the video reflects the mien of the song. Deep bass matched by a dark palette, crescendo marked by crashes and rising tension. The mystery of the video is undeniable…who is this guy? Who put him in that position? What did he do to merit it? It’s a fun video to speculate on.
Lady Gaga – “Paparazzi”
Well, at this point discussion of this video is wildly out-of-date, but I’ll write about it anyway. Don’t get me wrong, I think there is heaps to be said about Gaga’s more recent videos “Telephone” and “Bad Romance” (La Senora Gaga will eventually get her “Artist Profile” entry on this blog) but I really really liked “Paparazzi,” and the other two videos were released in 2010 anyway so they wouldn’t work on this list. To be fully honest, part of my deep deep love for this video is specifically reserved for the ethereally gorgeous Alexander Skarsgard. But beyond that paragon of masculinity, I enjoyed the exploration of celebrity culture that Gaga goes on here. She plays with the ideas of servitude, the “handicap” of fame, the performance that is celebrity, voyeurism…it’s so multi-faceted! So refined! I used to dismiss her as just another incarnation of bubble-gum pop music, and I’m still not the biggest fan of the music itself, but this lady is a performer, truly.
More updates soon!
~Sprinks
