It starts off in a brief scene composed with dialogue, and not music, and we as the audience are already thrown into the intense drama and acknowledge the pressure the woman is in, as well as being aware and foreseeing the troubles and struggles that she will face because of this man, Andre (Larenz Tate). We are already gripped into the story and can sympathise with the character of Ashanti, and this subconsciously allows us to have a more immense sentiment and emotion for the song. There is dark lighting all throughout the video, along with poor weather of rain and a thunderstorm, reflecting upon the mood of the events at hand as both the lighting and pathetic fallacy expresses the ugly, atrocious situation that their relationship is in. The event of the first scene being taken from behind a dark door, also suggests strong, dark mystery over the couple and we the audience are incited to believe there is something bad happening over their relationship.
There is a strong distinguishing of power throughout the video as we see the woman often becoming subdued by this angry, powerful male figure that happens to dominate her life. As he abuses her and smacks her, we see him tower and colossal over her, whilst looking down upon her body with a low angled shot, which portrays the power levels and authority that this man Andre has over Ashanti. There is a strong sense of irony within the video as although Ashanti is the superstar who should be happy with all the fame and glory she possesses, she is still becoming easily brought down by an envious and hateful person; who happens to be of much significance in her life. And he contains the majority of the power in the relationship instead of her. Although it can also be believed that Andre does not believe he has much power at all, as there is another low angled shot in a part in the video where he is looking up at a massive billboard of Ashanti, and he himself appears tiny before it, which could illustrate how insignificant and inferior he feels to compared to her and that could explain to an extent why he feels to beat on her, and believe he will gain power back by doing so.
Devices such as flashbacks and close-ups are used to bring out the intensity in the scenes, and also to provoke a more immersive experience upon the audience, making us feel closer to the characters in more ways than one. Examples of this are when Ashanti glares into the mirror and is looking at the bruises caused by the spouse’s out-lashes, and she reflects upon them in flashes of shadows fighting.
The violence being shown in shadows can also, actually make the scene appear very brutal, sinister and horrifying, as the images seem far too grim and graphic to be fully recognised and captured, leaving us as the audience not knowing to exactly how much detail of pain she has endured and feeling more sorrowful to the woman. There are also many close-ups such as when Ashanti is on the red carpet runway and is aware that her spouse is getting upset and infuriated, and although she doesn’t show it blatantly, we the audience are aware at the fear she is feeling when we also witness another close up, this time of Andre clinching his fists.
These techniques bring out, to more of a vivid and detailed extent, the emotion of the characters. Other techniques used by the director were attempts of making the camera appear more ‘life-like’ than it actually is, and these also worked well for a creating a more immersive yet tense atmosphere. During a scene that has the boyfriend Andre trying to break through the door to get to Ashanti, there is a far, long shot and the camera moves slowly to where the main scene is taking place, allowing us to feel more involved in what is happening.
Because the camera is so far away from him, it could represent the terror and intimidation that this character brings as we are trying not to get so close to him. When Andre starts kicking the door, the camera then briefly becomes shaky and unstable, reflecting upon the event at hand, the emotions and feelings of both characters of both fear and anger, and it also enhances the realism of the scene.
Various techniques such as these are used throughout the video to provide a more dynamic, atmospheric, realistic and engaging environment that all becomes successfully cinematic.
Heavily scripted moments of the music video also provide a greater cinematic approach to the media production. Not only this however, they also give the audience further insight to the terrifying life that the main character Ashanti must endure because of the viciousness of her spouse. In the video she is scared, confused and fleeing often allowing us as the audience to know to a greater degree, how victimised and brutalised she has become in her own home. Her boyfriend on the other hand is doing much of the chasing, enhancing the intimidation of his cruel, predatory persona.
There is a startling scene where Andre is knocking down on the door and eventually breaks through. This, alongside with the thunder strikes appearing as he starts pounding down on the door, symbolises the sheer forcefulness, brute and power of this character both figuratively and literally. It also reflects upon the role he takes in the relationship. When he has finally broken through and slams the door shut from the audience, we can only guess in horror what is happening as we hear the shouts and screams from the other side of the door. The camera fades away from the scene that could also represent how helplessness that Ashanti is feeling and suffering through at the moment. However it is not only his physically demanding and dominant attitude that portrays the monster of his character; his cunning is also shown effectively to do so as well. It is made existent when he was attempting to break through the door, he shows the kind of demented character he is and decides to act differently and friendlier in order to get to Ashanti instead and get the door to open. His character changes from a raging, hulking savage to that of a sympathetical, calm, friendly spouse. However, just him speaking the words “I just want to see your face” is enough to prove all may not be right yet as though they may seem like nice, caring words they can also leave the audience wondering, due to his previous actions, of what exactly he wants to do to her face. His brief smile when saying “I just want to talk” also leaves room for question.
Although, after, there is a scene of the couple making out, appearing as if everything may be okay and well again, and we can only assume that’s the boyfriend’s way of trying to make up to her because of his actions and he therefore portrays the type of typical, shallow men in relationships that assume and attempt to use sex as ways of solving major problems and where the women may have become too scared, fragile and therefore passive to change matters. However when we see a menacing silhouette of Andre leaving the room, and leaving the saddened state of Ashanti on he bed alone, we are confirmed that things are not settled yet, and that both are still isolated in their own lonely worlds, regardless of whether it was created and consumed by fear and anxiety or jealousy and hate.
The appearance and mise-en-scene of Larenz Tate (Andre) in this video also endorses a more powerful portrayal and depiction of a scary and monstrous figure. He is a muscular and bulky man, which already allows us to understand he has a grasp on power and strength, whether it is physical or not. A technique that is used often in the video to create such an illustration of this type of character as well is how he is often presented within shadows.
It creates a menacing and threatening aura to him and makes him appear less humane and more demonic. This technique can also be subtly interpreted that he doesn’t want to live in her shadow, therefore that is why he abuses and dominates her in his (he lives in her house and he drives the car she bought for him; it can be implied that he may feel somewhat emasculated because of his male insecurities and perhaps his inability to provide for her frustrates him more too as she is already providing more than enough for the both of them). He also has a tattoo underneath his eye and body, exclaiming to us faintly that stereotypically he is of a rather thuggish nature. The presentation of his character has also been associated variously with danger and foreboding of it as when Ashanti was on the red carpet runway, he stops and hides behind shadows and crowds, and then we are taken to a close up of his fists clenching illustrating the tension, and then a short clip of flames from a lighter burning, revealing the upcoming peril.
(Another low angled shot here to emphasize upon his power. If you were to look carefully you would notice that is eyes are glowing from reflection of the fire from the lighter, which further exemplifies his monstrous characteristics.) There is also another clip where we see Andre buying drugs, which can tell us that that may be what has fuelled his hate and negative feelings to the main character Ashanti.
I believe what makes this video very gripping and powerful, is that the music video attempts to exemplify what is a low key however very real and existing type of relationship, where it involves a subdued and terrified individual, and an abusive and aggressive one. It portrays the true light upon the domestic violence, where both participants of the relationship may be in their own separate mind states and one cant find it in themselves to stop hurting the other and one cant find it in themselves to leave. In the end, despite all of the abuse, there may still be some love as neither want to leave the other, (this is apparent as Andre is angry but also devastated when Ashanti finally tells him enough is enough and that he needs to go;
and Ashanti is devastated and distraught when she discovers of the death of him by the end of the video, and kisses him one last time which shows that he still indeed meant a great lot to her.
The hatred may have in many ways out-shadowed the love and disallowed the relationship to work, however it did not mean that love was entirely non-existent there neither.
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