Music video analysis: Keaton Henson – Charon
Genre: Acoustic
This music video for a very simple, melancholic acoustic song seems to focus on the theme of depression and suicide and sticks to this theme very solidly throughout. It seems to rely on the interpretation and understanding of the powerful images and settings used throughout to convey certain moods and atmospheres to the audience.
The first technique used to set this state of depression or sadness that strikes the audience is the colour of the image on screen. Either a vintage/old-fashioned camera has been used to film the video, or a filter has been used on the image to make it look dreamy/desaturated and soft. A filter was most likely added, due to the fact that the actual image and video itself is very high quality. Also, this would enable the film-makers to get the exact look they wanted for the desired effect on the audience and mean that the image itself would be editable.
The video is set in just two locations; a dark forest/wood and a humble household. However each room in the house is concentrated on separately at some point. These locations also set the scene for something quite dark and melancholic. Although quite abstract and interpretive in places, the narrative seems to depict the suicide of the main character (in this case, a puppet) due to the loss of a loved one or similar situation. The use of a puppet instead of an actual actor gives the video a ‘lifeless’ feel which compliments the theme of suicide and reiterates the fact that this character has nothing left.
There are no artist performance shots, but the puppet is moved to make it look as though he is singing the words of the song. This creates a personal relationship between the puppet and audience and enables us to empathise with the character as we try to understand what he is singing about.
The use of mise-en-scene is very important in this video. This is clear due to the fact that there are a lot of nearly-still images of objects and locations for long periods of time. Although these are intended to be interpreted by the audience in a personal way, most interpretations are likely to be sad, as was deliberate of the film-maker. There is a slow-moving tracking shot of a red piece of string at the start which leads to the puppet sitting under a tree. This string could represent a lifeline, and the colour red combined with the darkness of the forest gives connotation of blood, pain and suffering and love. A shot of a plain door slightly ajar in a dark corridor gives the impression of mystery and fear for the audience; wanting to know what is beyond the door but also being scared of finding out.
There are many shots throughout of wide-open windows from inside the house. These windows also have flowing curtains or drapes being blown about gently by the wind. This conjures eerie connotations of ghosts and again creates a sense of mystery. There is a shot of a TV playing white-noise and an empty black sofa, which implies loneliness and emptiness.
A shot of various journals, a key, a coin, a passport and other credentials is shown neatly displayed on a table, which implies maybe a gathering of important documents and objects before the taking of the characters own life. Following this is a shot of a land-line phone off the hook and lying on the table. This again conjures depressing connotations and suggests an abruptly ended phone-call to a loved one or maybe the ended conversation hints at the end of a life.
There is a shot of a half-run bath followed by a shot of a cut-up, uneaten loaf of bread. These shots combined may depict unfinished business and the taking of life before the right time. An underwater shot is then used to show the bath filling up from below, which may be a hint at the character’s ‘drowned’ feelings.
After all these shots of objects, the suicide methods are shown. These are subtle and implicit, but still fairly obvious when taking into account the rest of the video and the sad sound of the song. Firstly a plug socket is shown with an appliance plugged in next to the previously-seen bath. Next, we see a shot of the puppet’s lower legs and feet hanging just above the empty sofa in front of the TV. This compliments the white-noise or static on the TV. This is then followed by the continuation of the bath shot where we see a toaster in the bath with the puppet, whose eyes are closed. These shots end the narrative very abruptly, as the audience then knows there is nothing left of the character. It also quells all suspicion and mystery previously created in the video.
The camera techniques used in this video are fairly simple and natural, taking nothing away from the strong atmosphere and subject. Any movement is very slow, but most shots are fairly still. A lot of close-ups are used, especially on the puppet, to create a personal feel and really show the subject in detail and allow it to be taken in by the audience. This may also be to create a false sense of realism about the puppet, almost making it believable to the audience.
This video is very effective as is really delves deep into the emotions of the song and conveys them in a way that can be personal to every watcher/listener. It uses simple techniques to show things that can interpreted individually whilst still upholding a sombre feel throughout.
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