Narrative theory analysis of Since I left You

2.  This music video can be classified as a narrative video due to the chain of
events that follow a story within it. Therefore a number of narrative
theories can be applied when analysing the video.

3. Synopsis
 The music video begins with a black and white, long shot of two minors in a
dark confined space, as the camera tracks toward them the muffled sound of
music grows louder. The music is obviously diagetic as the men then move
toward it and begin to remove the roof to reach it. They come across a trap
door and push it up, there is a media close of two women's bodies as the
camera tracks up changing from black and white to colour through a point of
view shot. The minors then climb out of the tunnel in to a large dance studio
with two dancers and two judges present. The first minor then walks into the
centre and begins dancing with the ladies as the other stands and watches.
After a prolonged dance sequence with short cuts in-between of the second
minor sitting with one of the dancers, him playing the tambourine and the
judges applauding, the second minor begins to fade to black and white and
through a point of view shot the audience sees the first minor fading into the
light with the dancer. The shot then cuts to an old man stating he went back to
the tunnel and never saw ‘Arthur’ again.

4. Vladimir Propp (1928)
Key aspects of the music video include ‘The Hero,’ ‘The Donor,’ ‘The Helper,’
‘The Father’ and ‘The princess.’ Propp suggests when an audience reads a
media text it deploys its knowledge of these character types in order to
decode the meaning of the text.
Although in the beginning of the video we are first introduced to two minors
as the black and white shot tracks toward them, through the course of the
video it becomes clear which is ‘The Hero,’ later named ‘Arthur’ and which is
his ‘Dispatcher.’

5. The Hero
The second shot is a close up of Arthurs reaction in
response to the beginning of the muffled music. This
establishes him as a key character. The second shot is
another close up establishing the second minor. This
beginning sequence of shots may indicate that Arthur is
‘The Hero’ and the other minor ‘The Dispatcher’ purely
because he is introduced first. However as the narrative
continues it is portrayed that Arthur is the key, dominant
character. Through a media close up shot he is scene to
start removing the roofing and the other follows. Similarly it
is Arthur that lifts the door seen in a close up shot and
again he has the first close up of his reaction to seeing the
girls followed by the other minor. Through a wide angle
shot we then see Arthur begin to exit the tunnel before the
other minor, and are left to assume that he exits as we are
shown a close up of Arthur.

6. The Donor
 This is an object which provides some magic property. This concept may
be linked to the trap door they went through which brought them into the
colourful studio where they met ‘The Princess.’ It’s magic property is
emphasised by the wide angle shot as the men open the door and the
extreme amount of light floods the darkness of the tunnel.

7. The Princess
 Within the video there are two female dancers who may be perceived as
‘The Princess’ as they are the perceived as the reward for ‘The Hero.’ This is
conveyed from their first introduction. Through a medium close up shot of
their legs the camera tracks up toward their faces as a point of view shot as
the black and white fades to colour. This may be an example of ‘The Male
Gaze’ (Laura Mulvey 1975) as the audience is aligned with the male
protagonist and view the females from his perspective that may be
interpreted as sexual objectification as the camera focuses on their body
and tracks up in slow motion which is superfluous to the narrative, the shot
then cuts back to a close up again of Arthur to view his reaction. As the
shot cuts to a wide angle shot of the dancers beginning to dance, due to
their synchronisation the audience may perceive them both as ‘The
Princess.’

8.  As the narrative continues Arthur begins dancing with the blonde female.
The sequence of shots in slow motion convey a dreamlike atmosphere
enhanced by the use of exposure and harsh lighting behind them.
 At the end of the video as the second minor begins to fade into black and
white, Arthur is seen standing with the blonde dancer with bright golden
light shining behind them. This visually pairs ‘The Hero’ and ‘The Princess.’

9. The Helper
 It is clear that the other miner within the video is ‘The Helper.’
 Although throughout the beginning of the video both miners are scene
together, as I explained in a previous slide, the first miner ‘Arthur’ (The
Hero) is always shown first in close ups before the second miner and then
goes on to join the dancers where as the second miner sits on the side and
watches. He is even shown to miss his chance to dance with them as the
dancer invites him to join yet he stays seated. Then toward the end of the
video he leaves the colourful alternate reality and fades to black and white.

10. Tzvetan Todorov (1969)
 Equilibrium – Disruption of Equilibrium – Recognition of disruption –
An attempt to repair the damage – New Equilibrium – Equilibrium
 By the time there is a new equilibrium the character is no longer the As the
video begins with the miners underground, in black and white, this is a
realistic, mundane situation and may be considered the ‘equilibrium.
 Then as the miners enter the alternate reality above ground with the
dancers this may be considered the ‘disruption’ and is established through
the change to vibrant colour and use of slow motion in many shots.
 Then as the disruption begins to repair and return to a new equilibrium the
second miner fades to black and white showing the transition and goes on
to tell the story of returning to the mine.

11. Roland Barthes (1960)
 5 Codes:
 Action Code - may be considered in this video as the dancing that takes place between the two female dancers
and Arthur. Showing him accustoming to this alternate reality and separating him from the other miner.
 Referential Code referring to the information and explanation
 Semantic Code – the main characters are the two female dancers and two male miners. It is clear that although
the miners enter this alternate reality, where one begins to fit in with the dancers and become one the other
watches and then leaves and continues as he always was, a miner, without Arthur. Arthur’s characterisation
therefore chances as the narrative progresses.
 Enigma Code – this may also be the dancing, as it leaves the audience questioning its meaning and prolongs the
narrative as Arthur continues to become happier as the second miner watches until at last the second miner fades
back to reality.
 Symbolic Code – one interpretation made from the signs within the narrative is that Arthur dies. This may be
implied as he is seen to fade into the bright light with the dancer as if at peace and further confirmed when the
second miner speaks of the mines collapsing and him never seeing Arthur again. One may then assume that the
alternate reality was fake and symbolic of his death.

12. Claude Levi-Strauss (1972)
 In this video the binary oppositions may be the miner dancing, as it is the
complete opposite to what miners would usually do and so the meaning
behind this may be interpreted as not letting yourself be defined by how
other people see you and that you can pursue whatever you wish to
pursue.
 Further to this there is great contrast between the softness and elegance
of the dancers and the bold, extravagant movements of the dirty miner.