Textual Analysis - Florence and the Machine - Never Let Me Go

The opening close up shot shows a blurred individual which an active audience would recognise to be the main singer, this relates to Andrew Goodwins 'the star image' factor to his music video theory. For a passive audience, the  blurred individual would be seen as an enigma and capturing their attention from the outset as they are unaware of what this individuals significance throughout the music video is. It becomes apparent that she is going to play a role within her music video by being a protagonist within her narrative based music video as the shot draws focus onto her face. The close up shot shows her dressed in black and standing behind glass which has steamed up, this could signify that the character which she is pretending to play is cold and detached. Also, the glass in which she is standing behind could represent how she is trapped and seen to be the damsel in distress, this is therefore linking to Propps 8 stock characters. Her facial expression also signifies lack of hope. With the lights in the background being blurred throughout both shots, this again suggests how far away from happiness she is. With the female dressed in black with pale skin and dark hair, binary opposites could be referred to due to her not having any makeup on and her dressed in dark colours, her character has been given an androgynous look.

 The close up shot of someones feet creates an enigma for the audience due to them being unaware of who that individual is. The water in which the individual is leaving behind could represent the sins they are trying to escape from yet they cannot. The use of light continues throughout into this shot, with the feet moving towards the light this therefore links to the first two shots as before her back was turned towards the light and the feet shown which may be the females are now walking towards it. Water is also very symbolic as it is often viewed as the source of life itself as we see evidence in countless creation myths in which life emerges from primordial waters. Therefore, this shot leaves the enigma of not only who is coming out of the water, but what may be coming out of the water.

It becomes apparent that the use of light is symbolic throughout the music video due to it being used to create an atmosphere throughout most shots, this is therefore relating to Andrew Goodwins theory of symbolic techniques. The lyrics saying 'Oh, and it's breaking over me' links to this shot of the female looking up the light. With light being linked to a higher power, this shot could be suggesting she is looking up to a God and searching for guidance. The hypodermic needle theory can be applied to this shot due to it creating a passive audience to question their faith.

 The audience becomes aware that there is also a significant individual who plays another role within the narrative based music video. Narrative based music videos are a convention of the indie rock genre which Florence and the Machine falls under. However, unlike pop music videos, the use of low key lighting is yet again very conventional due to it creating a cinematic feel within the music video creating the video to feel almost like a short film. However, within this music video it does not show any elements of performance which goes against the conventions of a indie rock music video. Another music video which doesn't show any aspects of performance is 'Mumford & Sons - Lover Of The Light'. The low key lighting within this shot is a continuous element to the music video so far which allows fluidity throughout. With the individual standing behind bars this again keeps the enigma of the characters personality hidden, creating the audience to question why he is seen to be trapped. Linking back to the previous shot of the female looking up into the light, the use of binary opposites is being shown due to the male looking down with the light creating only his silhouette to be shown, the use of light and darkness could represent how the two individuals have their differences.

This establishing shot allows the audience to bring all the elements of the previous shots together due to the water possibly coming from the ice. The empty ice rink symbolises how something which can bring many people together and bring joy and happiness is something yet so simple and possibly dangerous. The symbolism
of the ice rink could again emphasise how the
females character is cold, simple and dangerous.

Symbolism of water is shown consistently throughout the music video. It becomes apparent that the water in the sink is a modern day, realistic approach to convey the ocean. The line stating "the arms of the ocean" could possibly suggest that the ocean is kind of a friend who embraces and helps her in its own way. The ocean helps her wash away her sins, therefore why it is not clean water. It shows that the sink is overflowing, again this could symbolise how she needs an excessive amount of water to clean and heal her.

The lyrics in which cover this shot state 'And the questions I have for a sinner like me. But the arms of the ocean deliver me' This confirms that she is implying that she is a mythical creature who has come out of the ocean. Which was foreshadowed in the shot of the feet at the beginning of the music video. The blood falling from her head links to the lyrics 'sinner like me' as blood is conveyed with danger and violence. The symbolism of the blood coming from her head specifically contrasts with how a halo of an an angel would be placed and perhaps she is a fallen angel.

 Between the shot of the blood falling onto her face, the shots switch to someone cleaning up the water on the floor. This again shows that she is trying to cleanse herself yet she has no control due to the shots cutting fairly fast and the blood falling onto her face at a rapid speed. The audience is still unaware of who the person cleaning up after the female is, however, with the bright light being seen in all the shots where the legs are shown, this could suggest that she is seen to be the females hero, this is therefore linking to Propps 8 stock characters. With the legs only being shown, the enigma of who and why this person is cleaning up after her continues.



The use of Dyers star theory is used as the audience becomes aware that the male protagonist who has been hiding in darkness throughout previous shots is Jamie Campbell Bower, an actor best known for his performance in Twilight. The significance of his character being in Twilight helps the story of this mythical female more realistic as Twilight is also based upon factors similar.
Both protagonists come together on the ice rink, bringing all previous shots together. It becomes apparent that the two individuals are both cherishing the time they have as the lyrics state 'Never let me go'. The shots cut from them dancing on the ice to them holding each other. With the lighting getting lower as the time goes on, this suggests that the love and happiness they have together will soon diminish. The lyrics state 'I'm going under, but I'm not giving up, I'm just giving in' Therefore this may mean that she is aware that she has not a lot of time left and she wants to spend her last moments with the male protagonist.
The audience is unaware of whether the male protagonist is knowing of the females animalistic traits. From previous shots of the male being in darkness it could possibly be that he is unaware or that he knows of the females individuality yet he still continues to love her even though she brings his life darkness and heartache as she is a sinner.

Within this shot the audience is aware that the male protagonist is knowing of the female being something other than human as it shows him stepping to the side and allowing the female to go back to her original form. This shot is effective due to it showing what the male can see and his facial expression as she forms back to her original self. The shot is the taken over by a bright light which continues into the next shot of her walking away. The bright light creating a transition between the two shots suggests that her soul has been stripped from her and she now has to walk away and accept her fate.

The flickering of the light is first seen within this shot, as the lights turn on and the female disappears the darkness has been taken away. Therefore meaning that the sin and danger in which she brought with her presence has gone. The water shown on the floor in the first shot is then shown to be covered in tissue, again showing that someone has been cleaning after her, possibly to make her life on earth as easy as possible due to her not having a lot of time.
It then becomes apparent that the feet of the individual shown reveals her identity. However, the audience is still unaware of why she is helping the other female. The use of light is again used and is shining on the females face. This female is seen to be represented as the hero, this therefore links to Propps 8 stock characters.
The extreme close up shot of the females face is effective due to it still creating an enigma for the audience, her facial expression is lifeless and its hard to understand what relation she has to the other female. Extreme close ups is a convention of the indie rock music genre, therefore these shots are relating to what is expected. For my potential product, due to it being a convention of the indie rock genre, I will be incorporating extreme close ups within my music video.

With the audience being aware of the female being something other than human, they expect to see her character go back to its original form. However, within these shots it comes across as being fairly morbid, which therefore shows the extend of how much of a sinner and danger she is to others. The lyrics repeating themselves saying 'Never let me go', this could be interpreted in different ways, possibly she is saying that to the male protagonist as they were seen to be in a relationship, or she doesn't want to leave the earth and go back to her original form.
The significance of this mid shot shows what kind of animal she is as wings rise up from her back and darkness takes over her body.
Blood falls from her head much more drastically compared to the first shot which was foreshadowing the ending.
Within these shots it then becomes apparent that she was living life backwards, as the wings rise from her back and she starts to fall down with what looks like is meant to represent the inside of a birds egg. Her body is seen to be slowly decaying and all aspects of human form disappears.
Camera work plays a significant part within these shots as it shows reverse shots which again signifies how she was living life backwards knowing that she is slowly dying.

The significance within these shots is that the audience is now fully aware of the animalistic elements this character has. With her being covered in foam this is meant to represent what it looks like for a new born bird. Her creature like movements within this shot show the bones on her back which represent the wings.

Within the next shot, the use of light shining down onto her face could represent her going back to what she really is. In previous shots it shows her looking up to the light, the connection between the two could possibly be that she was aware of where she is going to end up eventually but now she is being taken over with no control due to her not looking up at the light this time.
The uses and gratification theory can be applied within these shots due to them being similar to something seen in a horror film. Escapism could be a factor in which leads people to watch this music video.

The closing shots of this music video show the ice rink, the location in which was mainly used within this video. The first shot shows the physical mess which she has left behind, however, this could also represent the physiological mess she had and also the damage she has caused other people.
There was a previous establishing shot in which shows the ice rink before the female had stepped onto it, this showing the equilibrium of the narrative based music video, this links to the theory created by Todorov. It becomes apparent that the destruction of the females character created the disequilibrium of the narrative. However, the final shot of the music video is the ice rink cleared from the mess she had made. Therefore meaning everything has been restored, creating a new equilibrium.