FMP Research and Analysis; 'Blame' - Bastille

For my project I decided to research one of my favourite music videos and analyse it so that I can understand my influences when it comes to producing the film. It's a music video for the song 'Blame' by Bastille. The main reason why I chose to research this video in particular is because of its use of powerful symbolism with the painting of the ominous eye and the water bowl mouth; which I think are the main motifs for the visual artwork for the song. Whenever I think of the song, I picture that painted eye staring, looking down as if in fear or dismay, as well as those water bowl lips that seem to call out for help.

Plot Summary

It is hard to describe what happens exactly within this video as it is rather abstract. Essentially I believe members of a cult are summoned to congregate in a hall which contains the mysterious water bowl mouth that they worship. They receive the signal of the mouth emoji on their phones, which is when the song starts with the guitar riff. The possessed cult members make their way to the hall, where each of them kisses the water bowl mouth reluctantly. When they manage to do so they feel elated.

My Interpretation

I like this video as it is really artistic and open to interpretation. It is not clear what this all means but one thing is clear; the way the ordinary people are drawn by something on their phones. I believe it is a comment on society and how people of the masses are drawn to something they see on an electronic device, which isn't real, but the second they acknowledge it (like how the people kissed the mouth) they feel better. Like a notification on your phone, a message from a loved one. You can't see it but you know it's been sent by someone important. The moment you click it, the brain releases dopamine and you feel elated.

This false kind of gratification, I think, has a strong tie to the message of the film I made. Things on your phone aren't real, but tangible things are real, and those things can affect you and even control you and the way you feel.

Symbolism

This idea of symbolism is a huge part of my idea for my film, except with the eye, it would be the necklace which says 'I love you' in 100 languages which I was supposed to give as a romantic gift an ex-girlfriend. The whole plot of the film revolves around it, like the video for the song 'Blame' does with its symbols. Another key thing about both songs and their videos (meaning the one I will create for the former song) 'Star Shopping' and 'Blame', is that they both will have physical objects in their videos that don't relate to the song directly. For example the motifs of an ominous eye and water bowl mouth aren't explicitly mentioned in the song 'Blame' itself, instead what is referenced is the feeling of fear and dismay. For the context of the song according to Genius; the lead singer of Bastille, Dan Smith describes the narrative of “Blame” as “a super simple snapshot of two gang members”. This is reflected in the song’s violent imagery and background instrumentation that Dan describes as having a “mean, dramatic lean”. One of them has 'pissed off' the other, and that person has a gun to his head. The sense of fear from the gang member is shown through the expression of the eye and the mouth, without the entire face - as he is scared but will not show it to the other person.

For my own project, the necklace has nothing to do with the song 'Star Shopping' itself, but it links because it conveys the same feeling the original artist Lil Peep is trying to share in the music. Essentially I wanted to give this necklace to her as a token of my love as well as an a sort of apology/make up gift and in the song the artist sings about being a better person for the girl he cares about. So the more you think about the video and what it means, it links to the original song, like a deeper meaning, though in the song 'Star Shopping' there is no explicit mention of a necklace specifically - just the same sentiments I feel about giving this necklace to her.

To conclude, the main thing I took from the study of this short film/music video is its use of symbolism. This is what I aim to emulate in my own work.

Reference list genius.com. (n.d.). Bastille – Blame. [online] Available at: https://genius.com/Bastille-blame-lyrics [Accessed 10 May 2022]. IMDb. (2016). Bastille: Blame. [online] Available at: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7290702/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0 [Accessed 10 May 2022]. www.youtube.com. (n.d.). Bastille - Blame (Official Music Video). [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iys9IHmDJ1w [Accessed 10 May 2022].