Music video - Burn the witch
Burn the witch
Denotations - literal meaning
Camera -
- No use of handheld shots.
- Mostly wide shots, so we can see everything that is happening.
- Like surveillance.
- Hidden in bushes to show something sinister is happening.
- Close up hiding the sinister thing, then we see it.
- See something innocent, before seeing something even worse.
- We see the whole perspective from a high angle, where the Gods can see.
- camera zooms in and out when there is something intimidating to look at.
- No use of close up or extreme close up.
- Most shots range from mid shot, to wide shot, to extreme wide shot.
- No close ups needed as we cannot see facial expressions clearly, as it is stop motion.
Editing-
- Every activity leads into the next.
- Black screen to show movement in time.
- Stop motion.
- Trumpton based video.
- Also inspired by Camberwick Green, and Chingley.
- Colour is vibrant in the beginning and gets darker.
- Goes from primary colouring to secondary colouring, light to dark, good to bad.
Mise-en-scene-
- Meant to look like the old children's TV show, Trumpton, which was like an idealistic and unrealistic town.
- Hot Fuzz
- Looks like a nice place
- Combine a see saw with a witch drowning (1700s)
- Wicker man - inter-textual link to pagan rituals and sacrificing those who are seen to be outsiders.
- pagan symbols
- red cross on door meant you were plagued so stay away. (1300s)
- Everyone looks almost like an Aryan race.
- heavy use of red and oranges, linked to blood and fire (evil).
- Inspector dressed in traditional work clothing (smart suit).
- Mayor dressed in the traditional ceremonial clothing, with the extravagant necklace.
- Townsfolk dressed in medieval, almost ritualistic clothing.
- Traditional lighting, with it looking like typical British weather. Towards the end of the video, we see the sky looking red.
Connotations- deeper meaning
Camera -
- High angle to show it from the 'Gods perspective'.
- Direct mode of address at the end of the video, shows that we are involved in it all.
- Close up on the Inspector's face makes the whole experience more personal, as we feel like we are more of a part of what is going on.
- The close ups create an emotional connection to the characters we are seeing.
- 0.26 seconds, we see a builder who looks like he may be doing something innocent and honest, when actual at the end of the video it is revealed what he is truly doing. We see him using broken and sharp pieces of wood, which at the end of the video are revealed to be linked to building a Wickerman.
- 0.28 seconds, we see a shot of some women decorating a stage with flowers which again, looks innocent, but is later revealed to be connected to a noose. The deeper meaning of these things is there is always a hidden agenda, and there may be darker intentions than we initially see in societies that seem to good to be true. Usually this is because they are.
Editing-
- The only people seen to have mouths are the ones who are being punished. Maybe this is symbolic of those who are willing to 'talk' will be punished and are branded witches.
- Colours reflect the mood, gets darker (more sinister)
- English medieval setting crossed with pagan (Scandinavian) traditions. Shows it is a international issue rather than one place alone.
- Made to mimic the traditional towns that the band grew up in.
- Has been made to shock people, looks like the perfect place, when it is the complete opposite - meant to mimic society now and its response to immigration, as well as right-wing political leaders.
- The use of muted tones of grey, black and brown reflects what we may see in urban locations eg cities, in comparison with the brighter and more vibrant colours we see in places such as rural locations where there are more crops and natural locations. In contrast the traditional connotations, these colours reflect the opposite values of what would normally be portrayed of them, giving them a more sinister atmosphere.`
Mise-en-scene -
- thought is that by getting rid of so called outsiders, everyone will prosper and it will be like the idealistic town.
- there is always something sinister hidden under something that is too good to be true.
- if you float you are a witch, if you drown you are a normal person.
- blame all of the wrong in the world on the 'outsiders'. Once the 'outsiders' are gone, you will prosper.
- Pagan rituals of sacrifice to help with the growth of crops.
- Nativism
- model village in this village - makes it look as though the village we are seeing is the idealistic model for all villages, however it is not. There is injustice there, but it is not recognised. Everyone believes in this way of living.
- Demagoguery- political activity or practices that seek support by appealing to the desires and prejudices of ordinary people rather than by using rational argument.
- It is a comment on right wing politicians beliefs.
- Choice of inspiration could be a comment on the person it is based on 'Trump', who is notorious for his anti-immigration views, as well as blaming immigrants for what is wrong in the US.
- English image to model global scale issue.
- They're friendly, but only to 'their people'.
- "Sing a song of sixpence" - nursery rhyme referring to baking 24 blackbirds in a pie to give to the king. A maid is the the garden and has her nose chewed off by a blackbird, possibly as revenge, but they sew it back on.
- "Burn the witch, we know where you live" - threat to those who are outsiders.
- "Sing a song on the jukebox that goes"---leads later to "sing a song of sixpence that goes" - this is a formula of hate that has lasted through the ages.
- X on a bottle and on clothes is a pagan symbol of partnership. We see an evil partnership taking place between the mayor and the farmer.
- XXX has been refered to as 666 which is the Devil's number. These people are in many people's eyes doing the Devil's work.
- This town could be a shadow in Plato's allegory cave, as they never see the full picture. Plato's cave tells us that we are ignorant to the true nature of reality.
- "Stay in the shadows, cheer at the gallows. This is a round-up" - it urges the people to cheer on the punishment of disobedient peers who have been "rounded up,” thereby ensuring conformity.
- Jobe’s as seen on the apple boxes, translates in Hebrew to “persecuted.”
- The significance of his sacrifice is that he has been sacrificed to the sun God in order to help them with the growth of their crops which had failed in the year prior, as seen with the empty apple boxes.
- "Red sky night, Shepard's delight" - making the sacrifice means the next day with be better, meaning the harvest will grow healthily.
Representations
Class - working class town, where everyone has to contribute in order to live in harmony. To live in harmony, everyone has to make sacrifices for 'the greater good' of the society.
Age- all people seen in this music video are around the middle age bracket. We could assume that the children are kept hidden until they learn the values of this rural town, and are able to truly understand what takes place. Children are innocent, and may be a reminder of how bad the townsfolk are being, and are therefore kept hidden to avoid the shame. As well as this, we could also assume that the elderly have been eliminated as they have served their purpose,and can no longer fulfil their duties to the best of their ability so are taken away from their society. If you are no longer of use then they will not keep you.
Gender -We see the stereotypical roles for women, as maids, cooks, etc. Their job is to maintain the homes and the appearances of the town, while the males are the ones who build and grow it. The Mayor is a symbol of the patriarchy, with him being the one who controls everyone. He is the instigator of evil, and the females are subservient to him and the other males.
Ethnicity - In this video, we see them get rid of those we believe are not 'natives' to the land they live in, or may not have the same beliefs as the townsfolk. We see the exploitation of workers we believe to be migrants, highlighting the modern day issue of the exploitation of foreign workers by giving them below the minimum wage.
Disability - There is no representation within this video of people who may have a disability, we can therefore assume the reason for this is that they have also been removed from the society, as the townsfolk may believe they cannot contribute to society, therefore should not be in it. An interpretation of this could be linked to the Nazi regime of getting rid of those who the regime believe to be of no use to society.
Lyrics
Stay in the shadows
Cheer at the gallows
This is a round up
The song wishes its subjects to remain anonymous, to steer clear of any potentially revolutionary limelight. It also prefers them to be unenlightened, trapped in Plato’s cave (casting shadows in a cave with puppets so the people think they are real, when actually they are fake reflections of a person), they are staring at shadows on walls instead of seeing the “light.“ Meanwhile, it urges the people to cheer on the punishment of disobedient peers who have been "rounded up,” thereby ensuring conformity. It makes a statement that we are living in a time when it is quickest and easiest to 'blame strangers'.
This is a low-flying panic attack
Seems to be a reference to the popular saying: “Flying under the radar”, meaning “untraceable” or “invisible”. The people are severely panicking (so much that it is a “panic attack”) but they don’t even know it. It also could mean that this attack on outsiders has managed to fly under the radar in how other countries fail to detect or ignore it.
Sing the song on the jukebox that goes
The authority figure popularizes the act of burning, such that it becomes something like a song on a jukebox that viscerally unites the people against the witch, directing attention away from the regime. The use of “jukebox,” a relatively modern invention, contrasts sharply with the 18th century “song of sixpence,” insinuating that the beast of fearmongering and scapegoating has lasted and will last throughout the ages.
Burn the witch
Burn the witch
We know where you live
“Witch-hunt” means “a campaign directed against a person or group holding unorthodox or unpopular views.” This proves particularly salient here, as the speaker appears to be an authority figure forcing the people to turn on a dissident. It provokes this violence by reminding its subjects of their vulnerable and subservient state (“We know where you live”); if they fail to obey, they may come into danger. By “burning” insubordinate citizens, the authority figure deters any rebellious thoughts and ensures that its people will continue leading calm, unremarkable lives.
Red crosses on wooden doors
Dating back to the 17th century, a red or black cross was painted on the front of a door to signify that the resident had been afflicted by a plague, and served as a warning to others. Lyrically, this imagery adds to the song’s overall description of the actions of a society being driven by superstition and paranoia: anyone deemed “sick” is marked by a plague cross, and anyone suspected of witchcraft is burned.
If you float, you burn
Dunking was a punishment common in the Medieval and early modern eras. A form of dunking known as “ordeal by water” became associated with witch trials in the 16th and 17th centuries. If the suspected witch sank, she was considered innocent; if she floated, she was considered guilty. Those that floated were later burned at the stake. Those that sank sometimes drowned to death.
Loose talk around tables
“Loose talk” is conversation that is “careless and indiscreet.” The authority figure of the song wishes to limit such talk, which threatens their regime; anyone who doesn’t watch his or her words will be labeled a witch and be punished accordingly. When the US entered WWII, a series of security posters were created to keep the public in check, many of which featured the slogan: “Loose talk can cost lives.”
Abandon all reason
Avoid all eye contact
Do not react
Shoot the messengers
The authority figure recommends its subjects respond to “loose talk” with paranoia and fear. They ought not even try to understand what the person is saying; rather, they must forgo any attempt at relating to the person by avoiding eye contact, as eye contact “produces a powerful, subconscious sense of connection.” Furthermore, they must “shoot the messenger,” or treat the bearer of bad news as the one to blame. This induced moral panic, frequently associated with witch-hunts, “often results in the passing of legislation that is highly punitive, unnecessary, and serves to justify the agendas of those in positions of power and authority.”
Sing the song of sixpence that goes
“Sing a song of sixpence” is an English nursery rhyme (est. 18th century). The rhyme was actually referenced in another song by Radiohead, “Faust Arp”:
Watch me fall
Like dominoes
In pretty patterns
Fingers in
The blackbird pie
The nursery rhyme has blackbird pie that is set before a king where right before he can get his fingers on it, the birds fly out. The rhyme evokes as its main characters the royalty and the privileged, perhaps being pranked or fooled. However, the interpretations of the nursery rhyme vary and are not conclusive.
Interpretation
•Clear
intertextual links to the British TV animation (Trumpton) which is set in a model village
•The
narrative arc records an outsider (inspectors) visit where he is shown various
locations by the Town mayor.
•The
video is can be interpreted as a social and political commentary on the rise in
“popularism” in
Britain (and the USA) where certain parties UKIP/Brexit/Tories? The video communicates the changes in in acceptance
of people who are diiferent and
a Longing for a more respectful ordered society where everyone knows their
place
•The
undercurrents associated with the video are the fear of others and
the need for social conformity this is exemplified in the separation of gender
roles (women subservient) and the apparent exploitation of migrant labour.
•The
dark undercurrents of violence are evident is scenes where the cow pie is
bloodied and the presence of a hangman’s noose and the wicker man
•A
second intertextual link connects the video with the film “The Wicker man” and
Hot Fuzz
which further emphasises Britain’s fear of others.
Viewpoints and ideologies
A critical viewpoint opposed to enforcing community and solidarity by exclusion and exploitation.Incogruity in the media language - the disparity between the narrative and the mise-en-scene - tries to create a sense of shock to establish critical distance from the fictional world.
Representation
- Representations of a rural utopia to highlight exclusion and exploitation.
- Traditional ideal British village - quaint, white and a tight knit community - rep. in mise-en-scene.
- Outsider represented as a bureucrat by his suit and clipboard, a man who represents urbanism and central authority in opposition to the 'time-honoured ways' of rural communities.
- The insider, rep. by the Mayor, a man of traditional authority.
- As befits a traditional community, no women are in charge- powerful women become the 'witch' of the songs title - instead they dress in traditional costume and have submissive roles such as being tied to a tree, serving food and dressing flowers to a structure that turns out to be a hanging gallows.
- Exploitation of foreign workers is represented by the polytunnels full of tomato pickers who appear to be different and no not feature in the planning of the visit- instead they are made to wave cheerily by the drunken man with the stick.
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