Playing god music analysis

PLAYING GOD MUSIC VIDEO ANALYSIS

Director’s comments: Simone Walsh

The Concept

The concept of the music video is the notion of "Playing God" and the latter that derives from it. In the music video, through the eyes of three girls, we get to see the turbulence of friendships in the years of teens when desire to control gets the best of them. The music video will portray this theme in an abstract way because its focus is more about the mood the music video creates than the plot development or a typical narrative arc itself. We wanted the music video to be true to the meaning behind the song.

The lyric and music video is not a story that follows a certain sequence, rather, it’s a collection of characters and images that combine to form one illustration. The song is like a hybrid rhapsody, so the story does not flow according to the music video’s string of events. Time interweaves, cutting back and forth and picking up rhythm as symbols are uncovered and the blank spots are filled in.

The music video was made with clear intentions, with the notion of trying to tell the audience “here, this is what the young girls of today have to go through”. It’s a multi-layered, multi-themed dissection of adolescence, the music video delves into issues of peer pressure, bullying, guilt, blame and culpability within a brooding, yet gripping, tale of the intricacies and difficulties of relationships through symbolism.

THE BAND: VENUS

KIKI – Leader of the band DaNii – Lead vocalist JENII – Lead Guitarist

The poemI stood there watching the seeds that you had sown between us

In the fissure that erupted when you shattered our trustI stood there watching the tree grow skyward

Spoke to its leaves about how I was looking forwardTo the impenetrable wall I was thankful for Its roots were as deep as the tree was highAs much as your anger was as deep as mine

You sat there smug on your throne of branchesProudly wearing your crown of thorns

As though you felt like you were playing GodAbsorbing all your insults like a lightening rod

I knew you were not going to take any chancesAs a saw all your unspeakable acts adorned

I felt like broken glass as I watched you push me pastI felt I should pursue a career in suicide

To paint a picture of how much I hurt inside

The purpose of using a poem in the music video as an introduction was to give a backstory behind the music video. As seen with many popular music videos from Lana Del Rey, Lady Gaga and FX all use a poem or monologue in their music video as it is the ‘new trend’ to make a music video like a short film.

The Music VideoWhen the song starts the opening scene starts with the leader of the band flicking through a bunch of roses when the scene changes to a number of quick scenes symbolizing the character flicking through her memory. Time interweaves, cutting back and forth and picking up rhythm as clues are uncovered and the blank spots filled in.

In this scene you can see Kiki with one eye covered with anartwork projected on her of nature, lambs and a hand lookingas if they are sun rays from behind the character. The meaningbehind the one eye is used to emphasise to the number 1meaning new beginnings, and purity which is also consistentwith the artwork used with lambs and nature representinginnocence and new beginnings. The symbolic meaning ofnumber One combined with Ones urgency for new beginnings,we begin to see Ones recurring in our lives indicates a time toexert our natural forces, take action, and start a new venture.One encourages us our action will be rewarded in kind. This isconsistent with the meaning behind ‘Playing God’ song aboutwanting to let go of the people who’s tried to control her andstart a new beginning.

In this scene Kiki’s character is seen whispering to Jenni, almost as if they are gossiping.

The following scene , the third member Danii is seen distressed. With the projector projecting a compilation of colours and shapes connoting her emotions. Danii seems left out in between Kiki and Jenni.

You then see Danii whispering as well into Jenni’s ear. Jenni seems to be stuck in the middle between Kiki and Danii.

The following scene, Kikis innocently (yet creepily) plays with a marionette. A marrionette looking similar to Danii with the red ribbon and white shirt. This symbolises the notion of ‘Playing God’ as it symbolises Kiki trying to control Danii. While this scene is playing the lyrics of the song “just tie me up so I don’t go where you don’t want me” this scene portrays this.

The friendshipThe music video follows the ups and downs in a friendship, how each of them actively take part of this relationship, and how they all respectively made this friendship come crashing down, resulting in the death of one of them. Friendship isn't only about having fun or hanging out, but it’s about trust and being able to depend on one another. ignorance

There are multiple scenes of Jenii’s character staring in the mirror which coincides with the lyric “next time you point afinger, I’ll point you to a mirror” the use of mirror represents “the inner psyche” of the character. Therefore we get to seethis character in multiple scenes with mirrors to represent the characters fragmented personality also her narcissism assome scenes in the mirror she is distressed and some smiling at herself symbolizing that the character thinks she is rightand innocent and no part to play in the dissatisfaction of the friendship but part of her knows she is guilty. In one sceneshe writes VENUS on the mirror meaning that the other members of Venus need to take a good look at themselves in themirror before they go pointing fingers.

While both Jenni and Danii claim to be innocent and ignorant of any involvement in the events which led Kiki’s demise, itbecomes increasingly clear that regardless of whether or not they honestly believe their protestations not a single one ofthe girls (Kiki included) could be said to be truly blameless. In the second picture, this scene they look up towards thecharacter looking guilty shows this.

We are revealed to varying perspectives on a sequence; and nothing is ever obviously stated. It is left tointerpretation, an understanding of teenage angst, jealousy, shifting allegiances and misguided over-aggression - and careful observation of these characters to determine how they are feeling and why theyare feeling that way.

Kiki is the showiest role, on the surface, Kiki is then revealed as a calculating manipulator, playing onothers' weaknesses to cement her own dominant status within her school's volatile pecking order.This brings her into conflict with her supposed "best" friends, the sensitively introspective Jenni and themore self-confident, self-assertive Danii. The shifting loyalties and allegiances - and their consequences -are somewhat hard to follow, due to the time-hopping nature screenplay and editing.

No single motive emerges for the tragedy of Kiki, and while this may frustrate audiences seeking patanswers, it's certainly a deliberate and valid choice as suicides are inevitably complex affairs. If nothingelse, it's different to find a tale of bullying and teen suicide where it's the bully, rather than the bullied,who emerges as the real victim. Her obsession of keeping her friends under her control to compensate forthe lack of love and her own personal problems is what I would say also is the core reason of her owndemise.

The contrast of dim and bright colours and quick scenes provides the perfect canvas for thecomplex stories of these girl’s lives.The images were shaky and grainy, indicating the raw nature that is this music video. To me,it feels like someone took a camera and decided to video their lives. Just because the colouris dark does not mean they feel dark and vice versa, they’re can be colours but the mood isthe opposite, someone may look happy but in the inside sad, judging the outside not insideIt’s not really about the other aspects, but mostly the expressions on their faces. The brightlight throughout is purposely used to create a blinding effect to connote the characters, asthey try to run away from the truth, they are blinded by ignorance. The characters would doeverything they can to avoid facing the truth about their situations.

Reoccurring themes

Multiple scenes of branches, trees, leaves are recurring throughout the music video, Jennirepresents the image of sacrifice - she’s tied to tree branches an idea derived from religion.

Dolls or ‘marionettes’ are used frequently in the music video which entails with the song . The symbolism of dolls represent trying to control someone or someone is trying to control you. Puppets are manipulated by strings or a hidden hand. Is it you who have the power or is someone else pulling the strings?

In the first picture of Jenni from a low angle, she is looking down from a high position representing her ‘Playing God’ standing in a higher position looking down at her friends thinking she is superior to them. This entails with the lyrics of the song “If God is the game you’re playing”.

A famous art work of Jesus during the persecution is used with Kiki’s character which represents a martyr. Kiki feels as if she is being persecuted by her friends. Jesus is very symbolic, Jesus was turned in by the people who he loved and trusted this reflects Kiki’s feelings.

Religious symbolism is used frequently because the song itself is also about religion in a certain aspect but religious language and religious symbols are used to show a deeper meaning not just religion. For example, ‘Playing God’ does not just literally mean pretending be God but means trying to be superior over another person and thinking they are the ‘divine one’ ‘the right one’ and they have the right to point their fingers at other people (to judge). The scene of one of the characters looking at the passage about Love symbolises that in order to get rid of the ignorance and selfishness of a person one must learn to love one another – in the music video, the girls must learn to love one another, selfless love that Jesus taught, in order to forgive one another and become a better individual.

Overall

The music video is was made with clear intentions, at first glace it seems like a music video with enticing visuals, it conveys a deep message. There’s bleakness, yes, but it’s not bleakness meant to make you miserable; it sets the scene for the silence to speak. The music video unfolds an air of mystery, it allows the audience to process the puzzle and come out of the music video with their personal interpretation of what happened.

The music videos detailing themes of changing , ignorance and disintegrating, friendships; the pitfalls of adolescence; peer pressure and bullying; are fairly common in modern adolescence, the music video delves a great deal more deeply than most, and while the fact that the narrative unfolds through symbolism for a large portion of the MV, some may find the pacing slower than they would ideally like, but the time taken is not only warranted but is, in fact, necessary in order to allow for the palpable and ever-building feeling of tension to positively scream that the aforementioned powder keg could, and likely will, explode at any moment. And when it does, as we knew it would sooner or later, the music video majorly shifts up several gears to become a gripping insight into the spiralling consequences of actions and the resultant reactions to them. The making of the music video displays the utmost skill in carrying along the emotional flow of the film despite the disjointed chronology.