2. The scene then changes to a dark street where the camera
pans to show the girl alive as hides behind the wall portraying her
as invisible and alone. She also doesn't have wings however she is
wearing the same clothes which tells the viewer that this is the
night that she will die creating dramatic irony. The first words of
the song can be heard here which are Give me love like her which
suggests loneliness and jealousy. The music video starts with the
sound of faint sirens and a birds eye view of what appears to be
the murder scene of a girl with an arrow in her neck. She has white
wings and is wearing worn clothing. As the sirens slowly get louder
voices can be heard on a radio and we see a wide shot of a
policeman. The camera follows him as he walks towards the victim
then pans to show the scene as the music begins. As the lyrics
continue to say Cause lately I've been waking up alone we see a
long wide shot of a couple which the girl appears to be watching
and the viewer understands that she wants love like that girl
showing a direct correlation between the lyrics and the video and
with Andrew Goodwin's point.
3. We are then shown a wide shot of the girl sat cross-legged
at the end of her mattress adding to the dramatic irony the viewer
feels as that is the place she appears to die. Her blonde hair,
pale skin and white clothes show her to be very light as well as
the white sheet on her mattress around her and the white light
coming from the lamp, however the light appears very small against
the darkened surroundings in her home which looks like it is taking
over. Here the darkness could be representing her negative feelings
of loneliness and the small light that is left could represent her
hope which seems to be going out. The camera then begins to zoom in
on the girl which could suggest that the camera is also part of the
darkness. We then see a close up of the girl sat on a mattress at
what seems to be her home. The stone walls and emptyness of the
room give off a lifeless feel and adds to the idea that she is
lonely as it suggests she doesn't have the comfort of her home.
Also a close shot of a black and white picture of a man and woman
kissing is shown which reinforces what she doesn't have.
4. We see her slowly look down and the viewer really begins to
feels sympathy for her as they know that things aren't going to get
better. We see her look up and a point of view shot follows of two
wooden dolls that have been positioned embracing one another as the
singer says I just want to hold you again illustrating the lyrics
of the songs agreeing with Andrew Goodwin's theory. It could be
suggested from the shots of the craft tools earlier that the girl
has created these dolls and could have positioned them that way as
a reminder of what she doesn't have. As the chorus starts we see
close medium shots of the girl in some sort of pain as she writhes
around grabbing at her back. We then see an extreme close up as she
pulls a feather covered in blood from her back. We then see a wide
shot of the girl sat in a cafe. The shot is being taken from
outside the cafe looking in which could suggest that even the
viewer can't help her. We are then shown a shot of craft tools
before another close up of the girl on sat on her mattress.
5. We then see a blurred wide shot from over the girls
shoulder. This quickly comes into focus and the viewer sees that it
is the singer Ed Sheeran who is also sat alone on another table.
His appears to feel and act the same as the girl allowing the
viewer to relate to him and his song as he appears alone too. The
scene then changes to a close up of the girl as she appears to be
crafting an arrow. We then see a long wide shot of the girl sat on
a small wooden box near an open window now holding a wooden bow. We
see a medium shot of her now holding the wooden dolls, however we
see her focus more on one of them placing the other on the table
suggesting that she is becoming more tolerant to being alone. We
are then shown a close up of two girls walking together. This
changes to a high angle shot of them which seems to be a point of
view shot from the girl. We then see blurred long shots of the girl
now with wings suggesting to the viewer that she could be some sort
of angel and adding to the dramatic irony. We are then taken back
to a wide shot of the cafe where she appears to be holding herself
emphasising her loneliness as the camera pans to show her
wings.
6. We then see another close up shot of the girl holding the
two wooden dolls. As she brings the two dolls closer together we
see a wide shot of the boy in the tunnel talking to the girl and a
close shot of the two girls about to kiss. The viewer now realises
that the arrows make people fall in love suggesting that the girl
is cupid. We then see alternating shots of two different stories.
We see a long wide shot of the girl walking alone down a tunnel and
a wide shot of the gril aiming her bow at the two girls as the
camera zooms in. We then see a blurred shot of her aiming her bow
at a boy in the tunnel with quite slow movements which could
suggest that she has little effort or hope left. We first see a
medium shot of an arrow hitting one of the two girls which appears
to then turn to mist and a long wide shot of an arrow hitting the
boy in the tunnel which also turns to mist as he is passing a girl.
The mist could suggest it has some sort of magical quality and
intrigues the viewer.
7. We then see a series of flashbacks showing the couples she
has made fall in love just before a medium shot from behind her as
she stands at the edge of the building suggesting the series of
flashbacks could be what she is thinking of. We then see the girl
begin to lean forward and a close up shows her expresionless face
suggesting that her loneliness has caused her to become suicidal.
The scene then changes to an extreme long shot of the girl standing
outside an empty building looking straight ahead portraying her as
quite lifeless. As the chorus starts again she continues to make
people fall in love and we see a long shot of her standing in the
same tunnel she shot the boy. She appears to be standing where the
girl had been reinforcing her envy of her. We are then shown a long
low angle shot of a building where the girl seems to be standing on
the top.
8. We then see a close up of her wing as a drop of water falls
from it which could portray her tears which fall on her wings
rather than her face which remains lifeless. We then see another
over the should long shot of a group of two boys and a girl. We see
a medium shot of them as one boy is hit with an arrow and falls in
love with the girl. We are then taken back to a shot of the girl
now only holding one of the wooden dolls while the other can be
seen thrown on the table suggesting she has given up. We then see
the camera pan the group as the second boy is also hit with an
arrow causing him to also fall in love with the same girl. This
could suggest that the girls motives have become more sinister as
she no longer cares and begins using her arrows for bad such as
ruining friendships and relationships instead of creating
them.
9. The girl is then shown moving quite coldly through the crowd
of people. As they dance around her they appear happy increasing
her envious feeling as she strokes the tip of the arrow on
different people in quite a threatening way. Also the light that
appeared around her at the beginning of the video seems to have
fully dimmed down and her head is bowed hiding her face showing how
the character has developed throughout the song just as the song
develops into a more demanding tone with the singer now shouting
lyrics like Give me love. The music then also appears to take a
turn as we see the girl walking slowly down a darkened corridor
portraying quite an empty feel suggesting that she has lost hope.
We can also see a light flickering above her which could also
portray her hope going out. We then see a menacing wide close up of
her right hand now holding an arrow like a knife while the outlines
of different people can be seen in the background and it is
suggested that these people are now in danger of her.
10. There is also a quick shot of her in a wide tunnel as she
appears and disappears to the beat in different areas along the
tunnel conveying the idea that wherever she is she is alone. We are
then shown more of her stabbing and dancing as we begin to see the
consequences of her actions take place as the people around her
begin to fall in love. We then see quick, cut to the beat shots
alternating between her stabbing people with the arrow and
close-ups of her dancing. Her eyes are closed and she is moving
slowly suggesting she is in a world of her own and no one can stop
her challenging the theory's of both Andrew Goodwin and Laura
Mulvey who suggest that women are portrayed as sexual objects.
11. The quick shots continue and a shot of the girl running
away from the camera is shown going back to the idea that the
camera could be like the dark and she is trying to escape it. We
are then taken back to the shot at the beginning of the girl
against the wall however this time it appears to be rewinding. As
the fast music begins we are taken back to the close-up of the girl
and the arrow which she now has the tip of against her neck
suggesting she is getting ready to kill herself. We then see a
medium shot of her falling over the edge of the building from
earlier in the video and an extreme close-up shot of her face and
hands as she holds an arrow close to her face. There is nothing in
the background here forcing all your attention on her and the
arrow. The shots of the people then begin to speed up with the
music both of which seem out of control symbolising the girl
herself showing a relationship between the lyrics and video. We are
then taken back to the close up of her and the arrow as she appears
to be readying herself for something as the arrow appears closer to
her face.
12. As the fast music slows the words My, my, my, my, oh give
me love repeat as the viewer is taken back to the beginning of the
music video to the policeman walking into the girls home. This time
the camera follows him from behind alternating between the
policeman and the girl dancing on her own. We see him walk into the
room to stand above the girl's body. However, as the song ends the
arrow turns to mist and the girls eyes open suggesting she isn't
dead and a blurry shot of the policeman from the girls point of
view is the last in the video. This suggest that the girl is now in
love with the policeman. Throughout the video there are only two
shots of the singer therefore disagreeing with Andrew Goodwin's
point of there being many meat shots in a music video however
towards the end of the song the video cuts to the beat accepting
Andrew Goodwin's point of music videos cutting to the beat of the
song.
13. Throughout the video there are only two shots of the singer
therefore disagreeing with Andrew Goodwin's point of there being
many meat shots in a music video however towards the end of the
song the video cuts to the beat accepting Andrew Goodwin's point of
music videos cutting to the beat of the song. Laura Mulvey's theory
of The Male Gaze is also challenged by this video is more about
relating to the singer and the main girl in an emotional way rather
than a sexual way. In my opinion I think this is a very effective
music video as it gives a twwist to cupid and will relate to most
people. I also think that the image of the girl appearing to be
dead at the very beginning intrigues the viewer enough to make them
want to watch the whole of the video and also enjoy the video more
when they realise she is still alive at the end.