Research - Like A prayer
Case Study 2
Like A Prayer - Madonna
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79fzeNUqQbQ
The video contains a combination of narrative and performance aspects, with a clear storyline, and shots of Madonna singing and dancing within the burning crosses within the second half. Racism being one of the key topics throughout the video is depicted through inclusivity of black religion, with Madonna joining in with the gospel choir, the mise en scene highlighting that anybody is equal and trying to promote an understanding of the fact that whatever race, everybody can worship God and should be welcomed in society, just like Madonna is doing. Madonna's target audience for this video is everyone; she is proving that not only is love and sexuality acceptable between alternate races through the kiss they share, but that specifically people who follow a religion should broaden their viewpoints and everyone should share equality. She is promoting the message that inclusivity and unity are important and need to be worked on. Specifically, her target audience of Christians has been highlighted due to the amount of religious imagery continuously used: even if there is controversy, she has attempted to reach and slightly alter the viewpoints within the Christian community to make them more positive and inclusive.
During the opening of the song, it begins with an establishing shot of the main character (Madonna) running towards the camera before falling down to eye level with the camera, highlighting her worry and fear as if she was trying to escape from something. This then snaps to a close up shot of a cross on fire, foreshadowing the tragedy that will follow and that there will be a link with the church. As the song begins with a voice sounding as if it is coming from an angelic setting, the introduction sets up a dual narrative, one focusing on the religious story and one focusing on love and forbidden love. She begins by saying everybody is all alone, which reflects with how Madonna would have felt once she witnessed the assault of the innocent girl, before she begins to hear a voice from above, like religion is what is saving her from reality. This short sequence is followed by the slow motion close up of the girl being assaulted, followed by a close up of Madonna's face and expression. This scene is in a neutral dark colour palette which reflects the emotion and tragedy that is being witnessed, which is then followed by her arrival to the bright and colourful church, with the editing between the religious symbols in a warm heavenly lighting. This contrast between the two scenes could symbolise religion as a heaven, with safety and God as a saviour, and the dark scene before could symbolise hell.
At 2:13, there is a close up shot of a knife, as Madonna picks it up, and leaves cuts in both of her hands, suggested to be God's touch. This would have been an offensive thing to portray to the Christian community as it is seen as a lack of respect and intolerance towards God. This is followed by Madonna singing toward the camera, completely overruling what happened with the quick pace in which she moved the video on to the more positive image of the ritual celebrations held by the gospel choir. This is like a snap back to reality, as she sings the phrase "Let the choir sing", a clear disregard for God's apparent negative touch.
Towards the end of the song, there is a celebration which highlights that the ending is a happy one, with resolutions and positive morals that the audience should also take with them and infuse into their lives. The song closes with a wide shot of curtains lowering as all the people who featured in the video take bows. This shows us that the video is creating a sense of realism as they recognise that it is a video, giving a meaning of truth. She has been breaking social conventions with this video, with the relationship with a black man, her revealing clothes in a holy environment and the burning crosses, creating a moral panic within the world, making it highly popular.
Website Analysis
Madonna's official website, much like Hozier's, uses the image within her latest advertisement, linking to her announcement video to promote her tour and herself as an artist. Madonna has included bold colours with sans serif font, following conventions of advertising, catching the attention of the audience, and reflecting her personality and music as bold and powerful. The art surrounding the information is abstract and much like most of her albums, include images of Madonna herself, creating recognition for the viewer. The abstract art includes a neutral colour palette so as not to completely retract attention to the promotion of her music and tour, but intrigue us as an audience from the trendy abstract art, targeting both the more artsy or unique audience but also a more mature audience. Much like most of her album covers including her 'Like A Prayer' cover, her name is the central feature of the website, since her name is so recognisable and will immediately grab the attention of her audience. The clear link between Madonna's album covers are their highlight on the image of her face throughout most, which has been included in her website too, with her highly recognisable face and hairstyle. One of the genre conventions for pop is the image and representation of the artist and this website includes abstract photos of Madonna when she was younger and released the majority of her music, which her fans would engage well with. Featured at the top of her website are links to her social media platforms, placed in the noticeable location that most people would notice right away leading them to be more likely to interact. Additionally, as you scroll down on the website, there are links to her merchandise and access to her music which are clearly promoted and simple to understand, taking you straight to the merch and the music.
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