Music Video Deconstruction: Hurts- 'Somebody To Die For'

Artist: HURTS
Song: Somebody To Die For
Album: Exile
Genre: Indie 80's Revival
Director: Frank Borin
Year: 2013
Audience: 17+
Country of Origin: UK

The opening shot is perhaps the most important shot of any film, as it immediately conveys the atmosphere and tone of the film to the audience. In this instance, we see a man making a cross on a jetty in a quiet landscape, suggesting that film will be about isolation, religion and despair. The shot is at a slight angle as the camera sways to the sound of the water. The use of a wide/long shot allows the viewer to take in the setting of the film, in this case open water, creating a sense of mysteriousness. The next shot depicts a young woman, dressed in a habit. Our first reaction is to say she is a nun, but the colours of her clothes, blue and white, tell us that she is the Virgin Mary. However, Mary is typically represented as a plain woman, which this character is not, judging by her heavy make-up, usually used as a means of temptation. Therefore, she embodies two values- purity and temptation, also shown through her interactions with other characters in the film. The bright colours of her habit and make-up are at odds with the otherwise desolate landscape, as seen by the dead tree behind her, further suggesting that she is in someway 'special'.

Following the pattern of religious imagery, a later shot shows a man washing his face from a bowl, mimicking baptism. Notice that everything in this clip that is in colour is linked to religion: blue baptism bowl, red crucifix on the wall (not pictured), red prayer cushions on the bed. Baptism typically symbolizes a re-birth, and this metaphor is further supported by the character donning a fresh, clean, white shirt. Also, all three walls have windows indicating

Another religious icon- not only is the character making a cross, but is also 'walking on water', a reference to Jesus' similar feat mentioned in Mark, Matthew and John's Gospels. Also, the 'split' of the sky and water makes it appear as if the character is standing on the curve of the earth, very much like in religious Renaissance paintings.

The biblical reference to the "burning bush". As a powerful religious symbol, it represents many things, such as God's miraculous energy, sacred light, illumination, and the burning heart of purity, love and clarity.  The violence and aggression of the fire are at total odds with the colourful, childlike house in the background.