2. The lyrics
The video Man down has a clear narrative beginning and end. The video starts off with Rihanna
shooting a man at a busy train station as she then disappears into darkness and the screen fades
to black. The words ‘previous day’ then appears on the screen as the music then begins.
The storyline follows Rihanna and her lifestyle in Jamaican as she hangs out with her family and
friends even going to a club where she meets a man whom takes instant interest into her.
As they dance in the club Rihanna then pushes away the male, suggesting no interest however as
she leaves he follows her into a dark alley where he sexual assaults her and she runs home and
grabs a gun from inside her room concluding the video. Through out the video is crosscuts
between before and after the assault.
What's most important to establish about rihannas lyrics is that it is centered around her
personally confession and guilt. The alleged assault from her then boyfriend R&B singer Chris
brown rihanna mentions in her song “I didn't’t mean to end his life I know it wasn’t right” refers
to Chris browns music career and how the incident being so public left him with a damaged
reputation. Her song lyrics is like a confession to this god like figure “oh mama mama mama, I just
shot a man down”
3. Mise en scene
The location of the music video is set in Jamaica. Through out the video you see themes of the Jamaica culture,
such as the man selling coconuts and the lush green palm scenery this also identifies with on the genre of the
song reggae. As the video open with the protagonist rihanna appearing from a dark room, this suggest this
emptiness and darkens in her as we later see her shoot a man while he walks through a busy train station.
Rihanna is wearing all black and her hair is a bold red colour in content suggesting she is a powerful and
passionate person. Her eye make up in particular in this scene is a heavy black implying some form of pain she
has suffered as she looks down onto the street at the man she shoots dead, as she flees it cuts to a flash back
of the previous day.
With high key lighting as a shot of rihanna expressively happy riding her bike with some friends contrast with
the scene before hand.
Her clothing his mainly all white showing this innocence before the incident take place and her attitude is also
conflicting as it cuts between before and after as before she is vibrant interacting with the locals, to her sitting
in a low key lighting room, wearing a ripped dark dress indicating she has been torn of her innocence. The part
where she is in the low key lit room is almost this idea of a confession to a god as the rays on light shining upon
her, (as well the opening scene she is visually wearing a cross necklace again).
The male she meets in the club is wearing a red fish net vest, the red is an indication of a colour of warning in
as well he has a scar on his cheek which just like the film Scarface and the Joker from batman, they associate
with dangerous characters.
Rihanna is portrayed as a desirable, fun loving female as well she is seen as this powerful person which is
shown in the scene with alleged gangsters ( wearing bandanas holding guns ). She can be seen teasing them
even knocking ones hat off again suggesting she is a tough character.
4. Mise en scene
• Compared to the opening with the bright shining day, the moment she is at the waterfall the lighting is low
key and dull again this shows how this darkness has over come her. This waterfall scene is effective as it
indicates she is washing her sins or possibly is drowning in them.
• The club scene is significant to again relating to this Caribbean vibe with the reggae dance moves,
including some of the dancer using ‘gun fingers’ relating to the song. The lighting is low key, in which is
expected in a club atmosphere.
• As the scene cross cuts between Rihanna in the club to her dancing against solo, she is wearing this soldier
style hat and sexy combat outfit, connoting that she had become much stronger and a fighter from the
incident that happened. The lighting in the scene is a strobe light of red flashing rapidly as you can barely
see her face suggesting this darkness in her. The colour red is significant through out the whole video, as it
relates to the colour of blood which matches the theme of her killing the man. From the red hair, clothing
and filter effect it all links to the idea of love but danger.
5. Editing
The majority of the editing is jump cuts or the fade to black in the opening scene. What is
effective with the editing at times is how it is in sync with parts of the video. In example the when
the man is cutting up the coconut it is in sync with the beat of the song. The editing at the start is
slower until the end of the video when she is dancing in the club the editing becomes more
intense and fast pace.
6. Camera work
The scene opens with a (high angle) of the busy train station, as the scene progresses a (mid shot)
of Rihanna merging from the dark as it shot reverse shot between a close up of a young male
and Rihanna's face, as she (close up) pulls up a gun and shoots the young male as the (aerial shot)
shows the man covered in blood presumably dead. The (aerial shot) and (high angle) shots in this
scene establish that the young male is in a vulnerable position furthermore it creates this feel
that he is being watched over like prey. In the music video there are many (location shot) as the
video highlight the culture and scenery of Jamaica.
There are many (mid shots) and (close ups) on Rihanna's face and expression to highlight the
change of contrasting mood, this shown through the cross cutting of before and after.
In the club scene in particular includes lots of (close ups) of Rihanna grinding on a male showing
the intimacy between them. I feel this scene in particular with the camera angles being so close
and tight it creates this sense of vulnerability for Rihannas character suggesting that the male
character is a intimating person.
As rihanna exits the club, there is an over the shoulder shot of the male following her down a
quiet back street. The deep shallow focus as rihannas turns around is effective as it suggests she
is the focus and target.
The last shot of music video is a close up on Rihannas face as she stares down at the gun, the
close up helps shows the fear and distress in Rihanna as it concludes.
