Stills from the music video:
One. Genre characteristics
The genre of the song is blues/soul, this genre of music is carried throughout the whole of the music video with it's characteristics widely shown. Firstly the mise-en-scence her outfit and the outfits of all of the extras are black and solemn for a funeral, which connotes the deep pain of the blues music. However it truly shows how the soulfulness of the music is displayed as through these costumes the peoples raw emotions are put on display for every one to see. The settings used characterises the blues & soul genres well as it's profound and shocking, it's a painful experience of the artists/bands put on display. This is what they have done in this music video being in a cemetery makes it the music video feel all the more surreal, thus making the viewer even more emotional. It's about pulling emotions from their viewers with painful honesty.
Their are other typical characteristics such as the props, to create as much reaction and in a sense astonishment using an actual hearse. Using this it would again make the viewers feel possibly relatable through their own sufferings, yet it generates a shock factor and makes people stop and take notice of the music video. This is itself could be deemed as an untypical characteristic as blues and soul music videos should be calm and have less shock factors. Yet this is just an interpretation by the singer of making her lyrics literal, as it brings back the characteristics of soul and blues that primarily you are telling a true story from your life. Adapting your music video to be vivid and honest is also a characteristic, dramatising this just makes it all the more compelling.
Two. Lyrics and visuals
Their are generally a lot of matches between the lyrics and the visuals, but of course some are more obvious than others. Amy Winehouse sings the repeated line throughout the song "I go back to black", and the whole music video is set in black and white. This connotes a sense of everything being gloomy and unchangeable. The line "Get on without my guy" and she is sitting on chair all by herself and in the whole music video even surrounded by people she seems isolated and alone. Their is an obvious gap between herself and everyone else. Amy sings "I died a hundred times" in the chorus whilst in a cemetery and looking solemn, it connotes herself dying over and over again inside, mentally. The constant repetition of the word black combined with the imagery being in black and white, their are a lot of black items to connotes the images of death all around.
Three. Music and visuals
The music and visuals are predominately are matching and are in sync with each other as when the music hits its lowest and deepest notes the far more upsetting imagery appears on screen. Again the music hits its pinnacle just as the funeral is over, to connote it's all finished their is nothing left to do or say anymore. The music's beat matches certain visuals perfectly such as when they are all walking in front of the coffin, or when Amy is alone in the bedroom by herself. The beat also matches when everyone is standing around the grave and the beat is matched with the rose being thrown in to the grave for the visuals so that the emotions can be let out.
Four. Demands of the record label
Amy Winehouse is mainly shot within long-shots, mid-shots, 3/4-shots and close-ups. These were all used by the record label to make her seem far more relatable to the fears, the closer they are to her the more emotion they'll feel. From her raw emotions presented in the close-ups and mid-shots will make people far more compassionate towards her. The song is quite dark so to get the full effects the audience would need to be able to see Amy's presence as this is what is so strong it carries the whole music video. She is the main focus, where every ones attention lies within the music video, this is what her label wanted to prove that the lyrics are meaningful and stem from her own feelings and experiences. Thus meaning these camera angles were an attempt by the record label to get across that she is all about honesty and sharing her secrets and feelings and that music was a massive part of her soul.
Five. Notions of looking/voyeurism
Their are not that many uses of voyeurism's expect for the main fact that Amy Winehouse does not really look through the camera len's. Also she does not look at any of the other characters, neither do they look at her only a few characters do and this is only momentarily look at her throughout the music video. Their is one particular scene were she is sitting on the bed looking into a photo frame. Near the end of the music video she sits in front of a dressing table and mirror and tries to pull herself together using her reflection as guidance.
Six. Intertextual references
Their are not many intertextual references throughout the music video, although Amy Winehouse can be referred to the typical and generic grieving woman. In her tight little black dress, with dramatic and heavy make-up and hair to prove that their are not in a good nor well state.
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