The music video that I have chosen to analyse is Ghetto Gospel by 2Pac.
Within the first scene of the music video we see that someone has died in the middle of the street, with what seems like a handheld shot between people's legs.
The shot through the legs suggests that there is a suspicious nature to the death. Someone is trying to peak through and see what has happened suggesting that something criminal may have happened. This is reiterated by the diagetic ambient sound of the sirens and helicopters. The ambulance has already arrived yet there are still sirens in the background, possibly signalling that the police are also involved and this death is a murder. Another factor within this shot is the use of mise-en-scene, in particular the costume of the medic. He is wearing gloves and overalls signalling that he is a medic, showing the fact that this was a medical emergency.
The blur in the shot could be used to show the loss of the video's main character's life, which could be symbolic of his life fading away. However it could also be used to signal the change in time in the video that is about to take place with a flashback about to begin. The mise-en-scene is significant with the dark lighting in the shot. This reiterates the criminal nature of the death. Finally, the fact that the crowd is shown could represent the strong sense of community within ghettos and similar areas. Despite the violent and criminal stereotypes typically attached to them, here they appear to be caring and kind to one another.
This shot reveals how despite his background he is still a normal person who loves his family. The mid-long shot shows both him and his mum and his performance shows he is looking her in the eyes showing his care for her. This contradicts the mise en scene, particularly his costume. The vest top and bandana represent the gangster aspect of his life. However, this combination of family life and moral values as well as living a gangster lifestyle are things that often go together so in this sense it may just be an accurate representation. This theme of morals and also living a gansgter lifestyle is a wider theme throughout the video.
The background of this shot helps to set the scene and context of the character's death. The skyline with all of the skyscrapers represents the big city and the ambitions that the person might hold. However in contrast to this we can see the rough area directly in front of him. This could show the poverty of the area and how this affects the culture of the people around him and provide a possible explanation as to why the character is killed.
The use of mise en scene, particularly costume helps to build the image of the character as someone caught up in gang culture. The hoodie he is wearing is a typical way that gang members are portrayed and this helps to create the representation of the character.
Another factor is the text on screen. The time '7:49 P.M.' is an update on previous shots showing the time in the same way and in many ways it appears as a countdown to the end of the character's live. Alternately in could be reflective of his life and the way he lives. It could be interpreted as showing this to be a typical day in his life and that the violence concluding the day is not something completely unexpected. Furthermore, the producer of the video may have wanted to build sympathy for the character by showing his life and his relatable qualities, like the above shot with his mum.
Religious imagery is also used within the video. For example, here the character is likened to the statue here, possibly likening his character to him. This ultimately portrays him in a positive light due to the generally positive morals that are attached to religion. However, in some ways it could also show the naivety of the character in that his lifestyle appears to revolve around crime and could end negatively for the character.Despite this, the character does appear at his own funeral, presumably as an angel or similar, suggesting he has a positive afterlife waiting for him. This ultimately presents the character and his culture in a positive way as it shows that God would be acceptant of their lifestyle.
In many ways the shot of the character dead on the ground is in some ways a positive representation. The dignifying nature of the shot, with absence of blood or gore which may be expected after a shooting, paints the picture of the character in a positive light as even in death. This is arguably a reflection of the video as a whole. Whilst the nature of the video is criminal it generally paints the character in a positive light through shots with his family and the religious imagery used.
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