Analysing Narrative in Music Videos

Biffy Clyro- Biblical



   Biffy Clyro's 'Biblical' exhibits a circular narrative, to which the protagonist, starts and finishes upon a hotel bed; extremely fitting to the lyrics "If you could would you go back to the start?". However, the narrative is also repeated, as the protagonist takes the same route, only with different actions. This creates almost a parallel narrative, as the camera cuts to a mirror against the hotel wall, depicting the protagonists reflection (almost like another view, or world)
   This circular narrative/repetition is somewhat foreshadowed by the mise en scene of the fan at 0.02, hinting a sense of repetition and lack of conclusion, since a fan's purpose is to constantly go round and round, in which the beginning and end becomes unclear.
   Enigma is also created through phone call. In terms of the narrative structure, the phone call is an action code; once the protagonist receives the phone call, movement within and from scenes begins to take place. This is supported by 0.46, in which the protagonist opens the curtains to the beat, allowing the room to be filled with bright, natural light; light often symbolising an idea. However, we, as an audience still question, who was the phone call off? What was it about? Why does it spark such events?
   A harsh cut to the beat at 1.36, repeats the narrative again, to which we assume the protagonist has been beaten up. Following a song structure of verse-chorus-verse, the repeated narrative seems very fitting, to which after the result of the first section, the audience expect somewhat of a traditional 'equilibrium-disequilibrium-new equilibrium'; he has 'gone back to the start' and therefore knows now how to fix the problem created.
   However, the protagonist is beaten up anyway ( a slow motion build up indicates the climax of the video), despite his kinder actions in response to the phone call. Therefore, this particular narrative depicts a harsh look upon reality; you cannot change the inevitable. This, arguably, is suggested at by the boy in the pool; he would of got out anyway, even without the protagonists help. Getting out of the pool is inevitable, much like getting beaten up with the baseball bats.