Kodaline - The Answer (video analysis)

Kodaline - The Answer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XhSMKL8jqI

The visual difference in this video is the inclusion of animation, it is used often in the indie genre, as they tend to embrace surrealism. However it is a new format for the band Kodaline.
The opening shot is a medium long shot of the central character surrounded by darkness. It is apparent the he is in prison at a very old age, accompanied by the tally marks on the wall, we can establish he has been in prison a long duration of time. The darkness suggests that he is haunted by this bleakness, it also highlights the isolation of the character, and prison inmates in general.                    
The next shot is a close up of the characters profile, the scribbled detail in his face exaggerate the characters age and make him appear tired and generally unwell, this contrasts with the small glimpse of the outside we see through the bars of his cell its the juxtaposition of life and death.

 The character picks up a picture of his mother, in an overall, cooking. The date on the back states '1952' which makes the appearance of his mother being the matronly 'housewife' figure seem appropriate in context. He is looking back at the past as if the memories are all he has. This video focuses on emphasises the isolation and loneliness of being incarcerated.

This extreme long shot depicts the altitude of the characters isolation, he is encased in this tiny window (representative of his cell) which seems insignificant and barely noticeable in comparison to the surroundings on the shot.

Going through the daily activities of the character, we see a birds eye shot of him playing chess, alone. The theme of being alone, is constantly threaded through out the video. It suggests that this is the characters 'real' punishment for committing a crime. His family/relatives have diminished and only live on through his memory.

 When in the visitors room, he visions his mother sat at the other side. The figment of his imagination supports the theme of past haunting the present, she fades away shortly. It suggests that the characters frame of mind is unstable to the point that the line between fiction and reality is blurred.





The non-linear narrative means we switch between the character now, and back to the time he committed the offence, learning more about the character as the video goes on. We learn of his relationship with his wife, and how she betrayed his trust through adultery. The character is distraught and travels with his friends to confront the man in question.

In this shot, we see men at their most primal stage, the engage in competitive fighting in order to gain dominance over the other. The fight results in the character shooting the man who threatened his marriage. The abrupt end to the fight, brings the audience almost out of the sympathetic mind set, and reattaches them to the reality that the character took a man's life.

The final shot mirrors the first, the man once again sits on his bed dwelling in the darkness and his vivid memory. There is a sunset however this time; this implies that it is a continuous cycle of what the character goes through , that he relives his crime and the loss of his loved ones each and everyday. In comparison to other Kodaline videos, this was a bold new step in terms of how hard-hitting the narrative is.