SUMMER REVIVAL.
this hole is my hear
THE EMPORER WAS TOO KOOL!
yes ma’am
tamarind ball
Music Video review of “Man Down”, by Rihanna; directed by Anthony Mandler
REVIEWED BY Shardae Jobson
“And I took his heart when I pulled out that gun. Rum bum bum bum. Rum bum bum bum. Rum bum bum bum. Man down. Rum bum bum bum. Rum bum bum bum. Rum bum bum bum. Man down…” as the chorus goes for one of more veracious songs Rihanna has recorded, and would’ve been far more suited for her headstrong Rated R album than on her outwardly blithesome fifth release, Loud, in the song “Man Down”. The song (co-written by the talented Shontelle, and produced by the duo Rock City) is a one-woman discourse of a lingering amalgamation of survival and regret, and the music video shows the very big reason why this combination is prevalent in her character’s afterthought. Rihanna plays a popular, coquettishly cherub island girl that after a good day and night out on the town, her day in the span of a few minutes goes from great to tragic. Controversy aside from whether the video actually advocates using murder or violence as the indefinite answer, the video for “Man Down” is beautifully shot, and is also in homage to the country of Jamaica and its lifestyle. In a way, the representation is exhilarating for its inclusion of the authenticity of Jamaicans sanguine yet stalwart spirit. The music video is also astute in its acknowledgement of a victim’s or bystander’s dichotomy of either saving their own (or another’s) virtue by speaking up or in being complicit in not disturbing an apparent “peace”.
The video’s director Anthony Mandler has a great appreciation for Jamaica and he treats the country as a character in itself, with its scenic streets, beaches and villages, and respect for its afflicted political history, but he especially uses Jamaica’s glorious influence on art, food, dance, and music as touchstones of inspiration. Drake’s video for “Find Your Love”, which Mandler also directed, is similar in concept (a seemingly virtuous figure that gets caught up in an unfortunate situation) and style. Like in “Man Down” as Rihanna’s character, victimized by a guy after a brief flirtation at a hot club and soon after attempts to shoot him in a public place, in “Find Your Love” gang life is the center of the video next to the love story that develops; so another significant fact of “Man Down” is Mandler’s fascination with violence in Jamaica and what provokes it to the degrees he documents in mini movies for pop stars.
Whether the climax of the story comes from the trigger of a weapon or an evil eye, Mandler uses the backdrop of Jamaica’s balmy weather and appealing free for all atmosphere as a paradigm for anything can happen.
“Man Down”, like a lot Mandler’s work, is visually stunning for its umbra of film noir, though while not filmed in black and white, instead is awash in candy colors that translate on screen as subdued and slightly unrefined, the colors look as if will eventually bleed into each other. The color pendulum of the video may had been purposely done as to reflect Rihanna’s storytelling which starts at an orangey-yellow glare as she sits on a bed in front of a window, the camera doing close-ups of her heavily black-lined eyes. The colors here could possibly stand for caution as the tale that Rihanna is about to share is one of warning and anguish. In between shots of her smiling and walking around town, happy to see her friends and acquaintances (all before her near fateful turn of events), during the second verse, there is a Picasso blue period going on with undertones of melancholy gray, white, and moss green as our protagonist sings: “If you’re playing me for a fool, I will lose my cool, and reach for my fire arm”. This could be viewed as the calm before the incident, with clips of the soothing oceanfront, Rihanna finding comfort in its presence, and young island boys frolicking on the beach, living a life of innocent bliss.
The neighborhood club scene has undercurrents of red, naturally meaning simultaneous danger and passion in a highly energetic setting, all of which occur as this is when Rihanna encounters a sedated, muscular alpha male that at first joins her in dancing but then inappropriately propositions her. She declines his aggressive prowess, but he soon follows her into a secluded area and attempts to attack, or some saw as rape, her.
The music video is impressively vivid and recalls the cinematography of Spike Lee’s 1995 Brooklyn underrated/cult classic Clockers, as this film shared a similar aesthetic that encapsulates the overall colorful yet hazy glaze of “Man Down”. The colors seem to be imploding and the remnants of the burst from within causes a kind of spill and confusion of the aforementioned hue that telepathically understands the story that is evolving. As the attack takes place, shots of Rihanna alone on a boat with the backdrop of a waterfall reveals a darker blue of aggravation and worry (and is tremendously affective), and by the end of the music video in which she eagerly runs back home in her espadrilles, the camera is moderately shaky, the color schemes are black and orange, but suddenly the vision is blurry with a lens flare, showing this time a feeling of desperation.
While the song is clearly singing of a violent-tinged incident that somewhat betrays the merriment beat of the Caribbean rooted song, the video takes the story to level that is relatable to many and leaves room for discussion on what could possibly happen when a victim takes back the night in the most extremist level. Whether technically right or wrong in her killing of a man that attempted to attack her (and is the type to likely do it another) the showing of the reality of the repercussions is highly commendable because the victim, though unsure of what to do and where to go because of the dire circumstance, the character’s act of vengeance is from a place of stolen worth and taking someone’s kindness for weakness, which will undoubtedly have a lasting effect on future interactions. Though as artists that are dealing with sensitive subjects such as rape and abuse, Anthony Mandler and Rihanna should certainly cater to such revelations with deep comprehension and compassion. This is for sure not the first time violence in music video has sparked many an opinion and focused eyes, yet it seems that the ones that deal with abuse and redemption get the most attention with reprimanding reactions. There was Aerosmith’s “Janie’s Got a Gun” back in 1989; 1991’s “Me and a Gun” by Tori Amos; 2001’s “What It Feels like For a Girl” from Madonna, and even Ashanti’s “The Way That I Love You” in 2008.
The video’s commentary and use of color, rapid emotions, city and village life, equality, even race, and violence are all serious manners that shouldn’t obviously be ignored, and based upon this video may not only encourage victims to speak up (though not necessarily through violence) but to not feel alone. “Man Down” is by far the best video from Rihanna’s Loud phase, and the only one that will manner even once she gets going onto her next project.
You can reach the writer of this article/post at jobsonworks@gmail.com
