music video study (B) "burn the witch" - radiohead
Burn The Witch - Radiohead
Radiohead Information
Radiohead are an English rock band first formed in 1985 and as of 2011, the band have sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. Throughout the years, Radiohead have experiment with different genres of their music, such as: being heavily influenced by electronic music in the early 2000s, the drastic change in styles divided their fans, which is perhaps their success to their longevity. Their views are quite political and left winged, for example, during their headline set at Glastonbury 2017, singer Thom Yorke said that PM Theresa May should “Shut the door on her way out.” and changed one of their lyrics to mock her ‘Strong and Stable’ slogan.
Key points
- Allegorical conceptional stop-motion animation.
- Stereotypical small English village.
- All of the villagers follow a charismatic leader and do not ask any questions or raise any critical voices despite the attempted murder of an innocent man.
- The song and video warns against group-think and authoritarian leaders, as well as rising nativism, mob rule and nationalism across the world.
- Makes a link between the present day, the romanticised past, the European Witch-hunts and the public executions that took place centuries ago in villages and towns across England and Europe.
Intertextuality
- The Wicker Man 1973 horror film - homage to the 70s film where a detective is shocked to find the village is a pagan cult who sacrifice people and eventually is the one to be sacrificed.
- Hot Fuzz - a film that in itself was an intertextual homage/parody to films such as The Wicker Man. "Burn the Witch" also follows the basic plot of as it proceeds to unfold Hot Fuzz. Radiohead's music video contains several visual and aesthetic references to the film, for example: the town's model village, the roast pig and similar shots throughout.
- Trip to Trumptonshire (1960s children's series) - stylistic references to the fictional, classic English village with a community who all look out for each other, all being very idyllic.
Analysis
The bird chirping in the first shot could imply that the bird is sounding an alarm to village, to put on their front.
Establishing shot of village
Wide shot shows the mayor is on a podium to represent that he has a large amount of status. This is also highlighted by the fact that he is standing in front of a religious cross, suggesting that the Mayor believes that he has some sort of God and believes he is doing ‘Gods’ work, but ironically, his actions (attempted murder) is something ‘God’ would condemn.
Multi-coloured clothing, gives a false sense of security to the audience, that it may be a happy story, symbolising how some people conceal their own identities to fit into society and follow suit. Medieval clothes (cultural codes).
The children's TV show, which is about a very idyllic set in a British countryside where nothing goes wrong, this contrasts to the plot of the music video.
Red paint, signifier of death, danger a murder, foreshadowing the climax of the video (attempted murder of inspector). Also, the task which is being displayed (painting a mailbox) may seem harmless but later on in the video you truly see what the paint is being used for, disguising the true nature of the village. The idea could also be a metaphor to how people hide their true (negative) feelings of Muslims.
“This is a round up” is sung when the inspector meets the mayor, suggesting that they have invited and picked him especially to come, in order to use the inspector for their satanic ritual. The lyrics “round up could also be a reference to the European witch trials in the 1600’s and also a reference to the idea of people of power, rounding up these Muslims and refugees to ridicule and abuse them.
Also the pub name ‘Speared Bear’ is quite a gruesome name for a pub, this is an element of foreshadowing, that something is not quite right (implied violence).
The red crosses on the wooden doors is a historical reference to the Black Death (1347-1351), where in some places in the UK and Europe, people drew red cross and the doors of households who have been affected or terminated by the Plague. Perhaps a sign of getting rid of the ‘vermin’ of the village- people who do not follow the Mayors policies or people who are simply ‘different’.
Reference to an incident which happened in the North-east of England in 2016, asylum seekers were put into housing with red doors so the immigrants could be easily identified and because of this, they were verbally and physically abused. Again, linking to the idea of ‘burning’ the minority and making an example of them.
Model village replica with the tiny inspector and mayor waving, symbolises that the village have been expecting the inspector, perhaps stalking him. Direct address to the camera, makes the audience feel uneasy.
The model village has bright colours and looks rather pretty, perhaps symbolising the idea of nostalgia, that elder generations dwell on the past at the ‘better in their day’- better without Muslims and refugees ‘invading their country.‘ The brightly coloured houses also links to the idea of revisionism- that history is ‘edited’ and sometimes sanitised. Glamourizing the witch hunts- actually effected people negatively.
The small villages could possibly represent the people behind popular tabloids like the sun- who present Muslims and refugees in a negative way the change the general publics opinion on them (cultivation theory). Radiohead are portraying these men them in a negative way, showing that despite how much power these men have, they are just like us.
This scene of the girl tied up could represent Muslims and others who are considered ‘different’. They are represented in a venerable way as the men are circling the girl with swords which signifies danger and violence (prejudice?). The group of men also symbolise the idea of pact mentality and following suit, that people in today's society still gang up on ‘abnormal’ people. Moreover, it shows how the villages have been completely indoctrinated.
The men dancing connotes to joy and the community coming together, this gives a false sense of security to audience. The idea also links to the idea of revisionism.
The blood gushing on the floor- suggests violence and foreshadows what the village’s true intentions are. The fact that the mayor and villagers thinks this is norm shows that these actions are just everyday occurrences.
The pastry could symbolise the girls hair from before- they have possibly killed her?
Slightly more and more disturbed by the scenery – the disconnect between urban and countryside / binary oppositions.
The stance the mayor is doing is quite sinister- with his back to the viewers he is lifting his arms up to his ‘people’ as if to say “look what we've created/ I am God/ I am your leader”. This implies that the mayor planned this all along and that he is far superior to others, representing some sort of cult and pact mentality. His stance also relates to some sort of religious preacher, again linking to the idea of that he is doing God’s work.
The villagers aren’t phased by their creation and by the fact that they have attempted murder- suggests that this is the norm and they think this is okay.
This also refers to famous, disturbing pictures from recent history, for example in the USA, whereby crowds (and families even) would happily pose for photos at scenes of lynchings or, in Europe, public executions would have a ‘carnival’ feel to them.
The camera zooms outwards whilst a col legno battuto (violin strings being hit to create a harsh sound), creates a sense of panic and terror to the audience as the inspector is stuck inside the Wicker man. As the music stops the camera cuts, creating an abrupt end, creating cliff-hanger suggesting that the village got away with it? The harsh sound at the end could symbolise Radiohead’s anger towards individuals and the people in power who portray Muslims in a bad way- something needs to be changed!
Purple sky- their true intentions have been showed- symbolise death and evil.
The fact that they are smiling and waving symbolises the fact they have been totally indoctrinated by their leader, showing that because they have been used to this behaviour and following the rules, they don’t dare to be different as it is all they ever known, thus they don’t raise questions.
The bird represents a full circle narrative, as it started with the bird chirping and it finished with the same shot.
The darker colours (contrast and saturation) in the shot implies that the village’s sadistic secret has been revealed, thus there is no more hiding their true self behind a idyllic lifestyle.
Perhaps the circular aspect of the narrative also serves to lighten the mood of the disturbing scenes or suggest that this is normal life in this macabre village.
Cliff hangerHow does the inspector survives, but what happens next?
Semic codes of bowler hat has it has British iconography, contrast to the village’s medieval clothes, suggest that the village are stuck in their ways and refuse to adapt to modern cultural views. Relates to people in modern society, how some don’t want to accept different people (Muslims) or their outlook on life. Thus symbolising the discrimination in this country.
Intertextuality to the ending of the Wickerman as the main character survives like the inspector.
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