Textual Analysis of Quiet by MILCK for my Alevel Media coursework

1. TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF QUIET BY
MILCK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl_Qfj8780M

2. NARRATIVE
• Although there isn’t really an all-round narrative, there seem to be small individual stories within the
music video.
• A trans girl who lives with her mum and dad is assaulted by some kids on her way home and her
father seems to resent her slightly, reminiscing over his son. However, the father/daughter duo have
a dance together suggesting he is accepting and still loves her.
• Another storyline is of a couple where the boy ends up raping his girlfriend, before they seem to
break up later on. This seems to present the idea that even in relationships, consent is incredibly
important.

3. CAMERA SHOTS
• The camera shots used in the music video of
MILCK are there to give gratification to the
audience and fans
• The use of both close-ups and wide shots allow
the audience to see her performance from
different perspectives.
• The close-ups of her lip-syncing evoke more
emotion and she ignores the camera which
makes it seem as though she is singing for
herself.

4. CAMERA SHOTS
• The video uses a variety of
shot types with the majority
being wide shots to show the
entire scene. These shots
work quite well despite the
whole video being cut in a
square shape.
• The use of some high shots
and close-ups of the assault
on the girl in the relationship
creates a more powerful
image for people to watch.

5. MISE-EN-SCENE
• In the music video, MILCK wears a white outfit,
of which the colour symbolises hope, suggestive
of the whole idea of the song of there being a
better future for people when they speak out
about their abuse.
• In the couple storyline, the girl is shown to be
wearing a very plain outfit which argues against
the question asked in cases of rape: “What were
you wearing?”

6. MISE-EN-SCENE
• Throughout the transgender storyline, the main girl wears two different
dresses, both floral and effeminate. These show how her family are
accepting of her, despite her being assaulted in public.
• However, her father has a picture of her as a boy in his wallet and this is
suggestive of reminiscing on their past. Despite this, he obviously supports
his daughter as we see them dancing together to the song.

7. LYRICS
• “Put on your face/Know your place/Shut up and
smile/Don’t spread your legs” MILCK describes this
as the home she came from being a stereotypical
immigrant Chinese family where she was taught how
to be a ‘woman’.
• “But no one knows me no one ever will/If I don’t say
something, if I just lay still” This line is supposed to
symbolise how the victims of sexual assault are afraid
of how to act and what to do.
• “Would I be that monster, scare them all away/If I let
them hear what I have to say?” When people are
oppressed in any different form, even though the
oppressor is the monster, the victims who become
survivors take on the burden.

8. LYRICS
• The song starts as a whisper and then builds up
to a powerful statement in the chorus of “I can’t
keep quiet” as it builds to a crescendo. It’s
representative of the victims of sexual assault
and rape feel small and helpless before they can
break free.
• “Take that dry blue pill” is supposed to
symbolise hoe victims turn to drug and alcohol
abuse in order to numb the pain. It also is an
intertextual reference to The Matrix where, by
taking the blue pill, you ignore the state of the
real world and you continue living blindly in an
artificial reality.
• The final bridge is repeating “Let it out”
reminding people that they can speak out about
their stories and that there will be people who
support them and stand by them and
“understand” as is said in the lyrics.

9. EDITING
• The entire video is shot in a
square format creating this
enclosed space, a metaphor
for being trapped after being
sexually assaulted, however
the wider shots used later on
create the impression of the
small space being larger,
although it hasn’t changed in
size.
• This is an all round metaphor
for conquering sexual violence
experiences and trying to
continue living