Gotye- Somebody That I Used to Know, music video analysis

In this essay I will be describing how Lacey’s repertoire of elements, character, narrative, iconography, setting and technical codes, are portrayed throughout Gotye’s ‘Somebody That I Used to Know’ video and what moods they create.

The characters in the video portray the rock music genre through their straight facial expressions and alternative hair styles. This tells the audience simply by seeing them that the score to the video will be rock music or some variation of this. The genre is explored further when the first character, a man, is slowly covered in painted geometric shapes. The conceptual style is stereotypical of indie or alternative rock music which is then reinforced when the music itself begins in this style. The female character’s hairstyle is similar to those that were popular in the 1960’s. The ‘bobbed’ style haircut creates bricolage between the contemporary music genre and fashion from the 60’s.

The narrative events throughout the video create a narrative enigma because we are never actually told what has happened between the two characters. The video begins without any real narrative. It is just a performance by the male singer slowly creating a conceptual narrative as he is covered by the painted shapes. The audience still isn’t given any more clues as to what has happened until the introduction of the female character. As she enters, the two characters are seen to be arguing as the female character is almost shouting the lyrics at the male character. This suggests to the audience that the story is of a broken or breaking relationship. The lyrics also confirm this, ‘’ somebody that I used to know’’.

Although the video consists of only one setting with a mostly still camera, iconic images can be found within it. The first is of contemporary art. The geometric shapes that the characters are painted with were inspired by Gotye’s father; Frank de Backer’s painting from the 1980’s which also featured as the album cover. The use of geometric shapes is iconic of the 1980’s creating bricolage

between 21st century music and artwork from the 80’s. Another iconic feature of the mise en scene is the 1960’s ‘bobbed’ haircut that the female character wears. The short style of hair is iconic to celebrities like Twiggy who made it popular in the 60’s. The use of this hairstyle on the

female character, again, creates bricolage between now and the 1960’s.

The only setting for the video is a wall. The video begins and the wall is blank but as the song progresses the wall is covered in painted shapes, just as the characters are, almost merging the two, characters and setting, into one. This suggests that the characters are vulnerable and are therefore covering themselves and shrinking into the background until only their hair stands out. The space is also empty insinuating that the relationship between the male and female characters is also empty or broken. The fact that the characters are naked against a plain background also presents emptiness but, at the same time, portrays them as being vulnerable as they are naked. The colours utilised are neutral and dull, adding to the sense that the relationship between the characters is empty and their feelings for one another are neutral.

The use of the camera creates a sense of vulnerability throughout the video. Close-up shots are mainly used to capture different parts of the male character’s body as he is painted. This depicts him as being vulnerable because the camera is close to his naked body. A tilt shot is used at the beginning of the video, moving from his feet up to his face. The tilt shot also creates a sense of vulnerability because it is as if the audience is looking him up and down. The non-diegetic music used for the introduction of the song is similar to a nursery rhyme, revealing either the male character or the confrontation between the two characters as childish. Additionally, the high-key lighting utilised throughout the video generates a happy mood, adding to the idea that the argument or characters are childish.