2. Relationship between the music and the visuals
• There is a relationship
between the music and the
visuals with the sounds of
drums at the start in the
music, matching with the
theme of the Crimean War
being illustrated in the video.
This is shown by the band in
characters as they march
through a field in
rhythm, very directly much
like the sound of drums.
• Shots of the band in character
as soldiers, with the lead
vocalist lip-syncing the
singing, are very aggressive as
they march very purposefully.
This adds a lot of emotion to
the video
3. Relationship between the lyrics and
the video
• There is also a relationship
between the lyrics and the
video, with lyrics such as “we’re
wasting away” being illustrated
through shots of the band sat
looking gloomy in a trench with
nothing but their instruments.
• Lyrics such as “I’ll tell you what to
fear the most” and “Stop! It’s
happening again” add to build the
atmosphere that the music video
could be promoting the anti-war
campaign.
• This is supported through the
significant close up shot of the
boys blood amongst the mud
4. Particular music videos may have their own style or
iconography
• The particular theme in this music video is the theme of the Crimean War, in which the band
play the characters of soldiers.
• They make war out to be very much a negative involvement, particularly for the soldiers. This
is done through shots of the generals which show their life as easy and pampered and
completely different to the soldiers. The generals get maids, nice food, fanned and generally
look happy despite a war in progress whereas the soldiers look miserable, depressed and
dirty as they are sat in a muddy trench.
• There are other ways that this is highlighted, such as the weather being nice and sunny for
the generals and dark and cloudy for the soldiers and the generals get a glass for their alcohol
where the soldier is seen drinking from a flask.
• Furthermore, this suggests an alternative theme of anti-war. This is portrayed through the
difficult conditions for the soldiers at the start and the enemy soldiers turning on their
general at the end and not shooting the original soldier.
5. Close ups of the main artist or vocalist
• There are lots of shots of the main vocalist in character as a soldier such as at the start when in the
trench when the messenger-boy is killed and when on his knees waiting to be shot at the end. This is
done to show the emotion of the character/main artist, and there are lots of close-ups because war
can be an emotional, passionate but at the same time sensitive topic.
6. Reference to Voyeurism
• There are some references to Voyeurism, but not in the sexual
exploitation of women in this instance.
• In these scenes, the wealthy generals are looking out upon the
soldiers as they march towards enemy territory. Close-ups and
Mid-shots are used in this instance to highlight the class difference
between the two and how unfair war can actually be which backs
up the subject of anti-war in the video.
7. Intertextual references
• There are intertextual references in the music video, although no references to
other music videos or television shows.
• Instead, there is reference to the Crimean War, October 1853 – February
1856, which was a conflict between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the
French Empire, the British Empire and the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of
Sardinia. Most of the conflict took place on the Crimean Peninsula.
• The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers
for influence over territories of the declining Ottoman Empire.
8. Audience
• This screenshot of the
viewing details for ‘Empire’
by Kasabian shows that it
currently has 2,832,688
views. The video first
became popular when it’s
first referral from YouTube
search was ‘kasabian
empire.’
• The video is most popular
in the United Kingdom, but
also viewed a lot in Poland
and Italy.
• The top demographics
show that the video is most
admired by females ages
13-17 years, and Males
aged 35-44 years.
