Video Analysis on Love the Way You Lie - Article Example

Video Analysis on Love the Way You Lie Love the Way You Lie is one of the most popular songs that received an immediate astounding reception right after its release. The video was viewed more than six million times in the initial 24 hours right after it was upload by VEVO, setting a new YouTube record for giving birth to a video with the most views in just one day. Although not everyone has undergone what the characters in the song have, it is a powerful song that every teenager or young adult, in one way or another, can relate to. The most evident and prevalent idea, theme or concept is basically a mutually destructive relationship that is quickly being eaten by a fire that they themselves have ignited. It also strongly implies an involvement of domestic violence in this relationship. Performed by hip-hop rapper Eminem and RnB singer Rihanna, both the song and its music video shows the perspectives of both parties. In both angles, it is clear that the two are experiencing a rough time. The relationship clearly shows how two very different people who are absolutely wrong for each other decide to stay together. This brings about a downward spiral in their relationship and just carries on to add fuel to the fire, as things spiral uncontrollably. Eminem and Rihanna, representing the voice of the couple in the relationship, is evidently having an extremely outrageous and difficult time in trying to fix a relationship that was never meant to bring any good. Both Rihanna and Eminem are currently two of the highest chart-topping artists and performers of the previous two decades. They are among the most influential people in pop culture that continues to bear a great impact on teenagers and young adults worldwide and inadvertently, both have played very public roles on the opposite ends of their own personal violent relationships. Eminem, a renowned rapper, emerged to prominence and fame in the later year of the nineties with a succession of controversial and provocative albums, some wherein he has openly expressed and suggested through rap the dark emotions and sentiments of murdering his ex-wife. On the other hand, Rihanna originally comes from Barbados has just recently endured a very public attack by her ex-boyfriend and RnB singer Chris Brown. Unsuitably, when Rihanna and Eminem decided to team up for this song, Love the Way You Lie, although supposed to criticize domestically violent relationships, they have carelessly instead has placed it on a pedestal. Additionally, it has also, in some ways, glorified and eroticized violence, which in my opinion, is clearly wrong and inappropriate especially to the millions of teenage audiences and fans of these two giants in the music world. The title itself of the song evidently is glorifying domestic violence in a way. I personally do not consider the title, “Love the Way You Lie" as suitable or appropriate. It is clearly a form of irony, both senseless and destructive irony. Furthermore, Rihanna herself knows it is paradoxical, foolish and detrimental for women to foolishly believe the dishonesties and deceit of an abusive partner instead of the clearer message the man is obviously expressing or suggesting through his abusive actions. The music video of Love the Way You Lie, along with the different element of the song, also has depicted a theme of lionizing or enlivening violent relationships. Both very raw and powerful, the music video portrays an individual relationship of a boy, played by Dominic Monaghan, and a girl played by Megan Fox. The video first begins with a close-up shot on Rihanna, who is singing right in front of a house that is being consumed by flames. It acts as an interposing scene, which depicts fire on a woman’s palms. This perhaps represents their relationship wherein she has the choice to either let it continue burning in her hands, or the choice to close her palms and finally end the blazing flame. A scene then shows a couple inside that house lying in bed asleep. The woman, all of a sudden, has awakened, as Eminem in an empty field, starts to rap. Afterward, she sees the name "Cindy" and which is apparently her phone number penned on the hand of her boyfriend and immediately, begins to show aggression to him. As she is attacking him on the bed, the man attempts to kiss her. However, the woman just spits on his face. She then tries to finally end their relationship by leaving the house, but the man does not permit her and they begin fighting once more after she decides to stay. This scene depicts how the man ultimately makes the final decision and the girl does not have any say on it no matter how suffocating and smothering their relationship is turning into. It then leads to the man slamming his girlfriend against the wall, aiming his hand right at her, but instead, hits the drywall instead. These few scenes already show the destructive relationship of the two, wherein one witnesses the other’s betrayal, and starts to fight and attempt to start hitting one another to express this anger and pain. One then decides to leave, but comes back anyway sooner or later, and the fighting continues. It shows a cycle of what most violent relationships are like and in my personal opinion, the two actors portray the situation well. It, in a way was very real and I am certain that many people all over the world will be able to relate with this scene. After Rihanna starts to sing the chorus again, the video goes back to the time when the man and the woman meet for the very first time at a liquor store, wherein the man pilfers a bottle of an alcoholic beverage after they fall in love and the scene where the man kisses his girlfriend on the rooftop of the house. The video afterward shifts back to the present time. The man, in this scene, apologizes to his girlfriend by giving her a teddy bear in which she accepts. This shows how the woman is easily swayed by the sweet illusions. It cannot be denied that this, most often than not, always happens in a relationship. It later shows scenes of fighting once more. This shows the endless cycle of fighting and forgiving within a relationship. Towards the end of the music video, the man chases his girlfriend, who walks away from him but she locks the door to prevent him from coming after her. In the very last scene of the music video, the couple remains to still be together, after all the fighting, arguing and violence that has ensued and the video takes us back to the very first scene, where they lie together in bed, asleep. Personally, I dislike the way the video ends. The last scene of the video appears them to be locked in an affectionate embrace. She ultimately does not leave, and she does not walk away from their unhealthy relationship. Furthermore, although the house is already ablaze, the expression on the face of the “victim” in the relationship suggests that staying is a lot better than leaving and walking away. Yes, there is a fine distinction to a couple involved in a violent relationship, and that a representation of a very problematical condition should not be judged irrepressibly. I do believe that this video makes a very thought-provoking point about the function of both pain and pleasure in romantic relationships. I agree that these complicated relationships can occur. In fact, it is evident that many relationships are like this. However, with that said, I personally do not believe that the music video of the song does an appropriate job in depicting this complexity. What makes it even worse is that the intended watchers of the video and the listeners of the song might take it at the superficial appearance or implication of the video. Domestic violence was the main theme or concept of the entire song. The lyrics, evidently shows, how the “victim” of this violence has chosen to just accept the beating, the fighting, the aggression and the pain that goes with it. It is a powerful depiction of a martyr for love, if it even is love and even though the other has done countless things to hurt the person, through betrayal and abuse and even after all that, he is just standing there and watching the girl cry, in the girl’s mind, she answers just as the lyrics says, “That’s alright, because I love the way you lie.” Works Cited Eminem and Rihanna. “Love the Way You Lie.” Effigy Studios and Sun Studios, 2010. CD. Read More