Analysis of 'Beggars' music video

'Beggars' by Mallory Knox video:

The music which Mallory Knox creates is alternative rock and the sound has aspects of the rock genre such as drums and electric guitar which creates the harsher sounds however their alternative side is shown through their lyrics which are meaningful and are also ambiguous, creating deeper meaning to their songs.

The costume worn by the band in the video is inspired by the 1971 film 'A Clockwork Orange'. They wear a simple matching costume of white shirts and trousers and black hats and they are also in a similar location. The intertextual link seems to be that the gang of men are trying to find the beggar to attack him, similar to how the gang in 'A Clockwork Orange' also attack people. However the video concludes with the gang of men returning the beggars blanket which contradicts the intertextual link. The lighting in the performance shots of the video are very dark with a red glow from the street lights and this links to the lyrics of the video which include dark imagery of hell. However the narrative shots in the video are in daylight which could represent the way that the gang are trying to be accommodating by giving the beggar back his blanket. The actors in the video are the members of the band however the lead singer receives the most screen time and close ups which makes him the protagonist in the video. Very little props are used in the video apart from the beggars blanket which is used to show the audience that Mallory Knox are not a gang with harmful intentions but actually want to help the beggar.

The lengths of the shots in the video vary from six seconds long to one second long and this creates a break in the narrative action to reflect on the lyrics. The quicker shots reflect the more up-beat parts of the song and the faster paced action scenes. The variation of close up and long shots allow the audience to see the setting and the emotion on the actors faces while these shots also change from performance to narrative, keeping the interest of the audience. The whole video uses amplification to take a concept from the lyrics and enhances it. The title of the song 'Beggars' is amplified and used to create a narrative while remaining linked to the main concept of the song. The video is also circular because it starts and finishes with the band walking away from the camera underneath the underpass. Todorov's theory of equilibrium is also used in the video:

1. Equilibrium (The band is walking together and the beggar has his blanket)
2. Disruption of that order (The beggar looses his blanket when he runs away)
3. Recognition that disruption must be restored (Mallory Knox chase after the beggar to return his blanket)
4. An attempt to repair the damage of the disruption (They fins the beggar and give him back his blanket)
5. A return or recognition of the new equilibrium (The band are walking together again at the end and the beggar is sat with his blanket)