This video analyzes the music video for the song "Cherry Wine" by Hozier. It uses various shot types and camera techniques to portray a complex relationship involving domestic abuse in a realistic way. Cozy lighting and scenes of the couple being affectionate are contrasted with close-ups showing the woman's bruised eye and look of fear and sadness. Multiple mirrors are used to represent the different sides to her experience. The video has an important message of exposing domestic abuse and showing it can affect anyone.

1. GENERIC RESEARCH- TEXTUAL
ANALYSIS 2
Cherry Wine- Hozier

2. • I chose this video because of its authentic feel and interesting
shot types, while it also shows a complex relationship with an
important message of domestic abuse. The cozy feel of the video
is not what people would associate with domestic violence,
making it more real and opening peoples eyes to make them see
it can happen anywhere to anyone.

3. Shot Language/ technique Representation/ narrative
Head down in shame
Cozy fairy lights in heart shape
make us feel like its just another
love story
We cant see her face properly in
any of the mirrors
She is holding her wrist This is the first glimpse that she
might be being abused as they
would only hold a body part if it
was hurting

4. Shot Language/ technique Representation/ narrative
Medium shot
She is staring at herself in the
mirror
Slight high angle making her
appear more vulnerable
Her hair and the shadows hide her
bruised eye- concealing the fact
she is being abused
She is looking at herself as if she
doesn’t recognize herself- possibly
because she is in denial that she is
being abused as people wouldn’t
believe it could happen to them
Long shot
Mise en scene of nice looking
home
Dimmed lighting
Both seem very happy- dancing,
laughing and kissing
As this has just come from the
scene of her looking upset we
wonder why

5. Shot Language/ technique Representation/ narrative
Over the shoulder shot Contrast from kissing boyfriend
Hair still covering eye
Multiple mirrors- we see more than
once side of her
Mid shot of two subjects Appears to be genuine love- nature
of domestic abuse

6. Shot Language/ technique Representation/ narrative
Close up shot He is taking her shoe off- adhering
to stereotype of aiding women
whilst she is not dressed in a
voyeuristic way
Medium shot Dimmed dreamlike filter suggests
these might be memories of
“better times” before she was
being abused
She drinks “cherry wine” reflecting
the lyrics

7. Shot Language/ technique Representation/ narrative
High angle wide shot Kittens- cute and innocent
Make us think she has a “perfect
life”- a boyfriend, nice house, cute
cats
Extreme close up She takes off her makeup and
reveals her bruised eye
We see the raw emotion in her
eyes of fear, pain and sadness after
having covered up the fact she is
being abused

8. Shot Language/ technique Representation/ narrative
Over the shoulder shot
Split into 3 mirror panels
She blocks the last mirror panel to
reflect the fact she is not seen or
heard as an abuse victim
We see every angle of her at her
most vulnerable
Juxtaposing very first shot where
we couldn’t see her face
Close up shot of two subjects He keeps kissing her despite her
bruised eye being visible
She is being manipulated into
thinking he loves her but really he
is physically and emotionally
abusing her

9. Shot Language/ technique Representation/ narrative
Close up shot He covers her eye with her hair as
though to hide it instead of face up
to it
We see how lost and confused she
feels from her abuser
The audience empathises with her
and begin to feel her pain
Close up
This shot begins with her eye
hidden by her hair but she moves it
We see tears in her eyes
She pushes her hair back off of her
face as an act of bravery that she is
not afraid to show her bruises
despite us seeing before that she
wouldn’t stand up to her boyfriend
as she thinks he loves her
This is the last scene and is very
powerful
It is shown for 30 seconds to get
the viewers attention

10. CONCLUSIONS
• This video was important as it covers a topic not portrayed
enough in the media. The dreamlike filter and even the song
sounds too light hearted to be dealing with something like
domestic abuse, which is often concealed by a “happy front”. It is
a slow pace song with intense scenes due to the shot types for
example in close up shots we see raw emotion. The use of
mirrors is interesting and can show multiple physical and
metaphorical sides to someone.