"When our spelling is perfect, it's invisible. But when it's flawed, it prompts negative associations." - Marilyn vos Savant



Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Soft Cell - Bedsitter/Soft Cell's Bedsitter music video art review



This piece starts off seeing rats moving around in some clutter and then you see Dave in an underground subway train. I thought this was so similar to Pet Shop Boys' "Home and Dry" music video because of the rats and the train tracks. Anyway, Dave is leaving the station in different short scenes and the words "Sunday Morning" pops up, it's like "Another Day" or "Next Day" in their later video "Monoculture." Now you see Marc in a colourful room with singing in an upside-down angle, and then more angles and positions of Marc in variations which I found nice move on the photography part, because they match up the parts of the lyrics really well. Then the scene jumps back to Dave walking out the station onwards to the streets in four different segments. The bit where you see Marc's face inside the heart shape outline along with the moving background was pretty interesting because outside of the shape, the rest of his body is moving slowly and you see Dave with his keyboard. I wonder how they did that. I like how Marc had different outfits that match the wallpaper, I thought that was a very unique style. Now you see Dave inside a pay phone, wonder who he's calling. Then you see Marc in the colorful room again, notice how another scene, the wallpaper is different and he's matching it again. And another scene where he's changing outfits and matching the wallpaper, and then he wears black, which was Marc known idealistic style of clothing with the black wall paper too. Then after saying having fun, he turns and then Dave shows up on the streets walking, I like how when Marc turns and Dave was already turned on his backside, good aim on the camera. It was as if, he was another person. When the chorus comes on, you see Marc turning his head towards the camera and then toward a bulk of the room. I like how that room is so organic, I mean it really signify how some people can live, especially artists sometimes. As Marc leaves, you see the sink is overflowing with watch and bubbles and you see Dave goes to a room, probably one of those Sex Cinemas more likely since the song is on their first album Non Stop Erotic Cabaret. Then you have Marc looking from the window like it was stated in the lyrics, I couldn't understand the neon sign of Disco, it was the strangest thing. The song itself, isn't even a disco type song, I don't think. It does remind me about Pet Shop Boys' Disco series, which was in the tradition of Soft Cell's second album, so it's kind of a relation in a way, I believe. When you see Marc looking out the window, the background spins, like some dizzy feel to it. Then you see Marc lying on the bed look towards the bed, and then have a book leaning towards the end of the ink bottle where the ink leaves out. This scene I really like because as it zooms in you get this blurry dominant blue image of organic shapes. Then you see Marc and Dave in a shot where again an outline of a shape but this time it's a square and outside of it the rest of their bodies are moving slowly. When Marc sings "Watch the Mirror; Count the Lines" his voice sound like he hit a sour note on "lines" I thought was that on purpose or something, it seems like it was on purpose especially it was released like that, it could be an artsy move. Who knows. Marc's eye jesters and mood in the video, you can tell he loves to act and move about even on stage too. I also found that having the Disco neon sign on the keyboard was pretty cool and I can probably kind see why the Pet Shop Boys would like this song, maybe it's coincidence but I think that would be one of the reasons they like this song. I don't know. I like how the square turns to Marc and then you see mice on the floor, I found that comedic because he sings "1,000 people just like me" and you see only four, I guess that was a hyperbole. Then the part where Dave is walking swiftly up the stairs, I felt that bit was pretty suspenseful in a way, because when he reaches up the stairs, Marc pops up in four different shots where he matches the wallpaper again, but it make sense that they match up "Dancing, Laughing, Drinking, Loving" sequence. And you have where the back grounds are moving again and you see Marc moving around and Dave on the keyboard. Then you see Marc looks like he's hugging himself a while an outline is moving like it was in some liquid, then you see the four backgrounds again only this time, Marc spins in one of them and disappears along with the outline of the shape. Finally you see the bird's eye view of the room where you see records, unmade bed and other stuff all over the place and you see water moving and the word ".......Suddenly" shows and the silhouette of Dave coming in looking around and then simply turning the water off. Classic!

1 comment:

  1. I have not checked in here for a while as I thought it was getting boring, but the last few posts are good quality so I guess I'll add you back to my everyday bloglist. You deserve it friend :)
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