The Man Who Can’t Be Moved

The Script

Released – 25 July 2008, 2008 Sony BMG Music Entertainment. UK chart peak position: 2Genre: Pop/rock/pop balladDirector: Marc KlasfeldThe Script are an Irish band, formed in 2001.

The music video for The Script’s The Man Who Can’t Be Moved uses a linear narrative structure. The events which take place during the production are shown chronologically, in which the protagonistplayed by Danny O’Donnoghue, is shown to roam the streets of New York City, eventually becoming a celebrity for hunger striking. This makes the events that are portrayed, easy to follow, and suits the target audience for the music video; fans of the band, as they will be most interested in the lead band member who features, rather than any complex storyline. It also allows the director, Klasfeld, to portray the events which take place most dramatically, in which the protagonist waits for a girl who never turns up. It further emphasises the symbolism of this narrative, in which the character is portrayed as going through the break up of a relationship which he is struggling to come to terms with. This links directly with my music video production, where my protagonist is similarly shown to be suffering the emotional pain of a break up, which inspired me to similarly portray one storyline alone.

The fact that we follow this one storyline alone during the whole music video, heightens the tension and drama created, giving the audience a sense of tragedy and sympathy for the main character. If this storyline were to be interrupted at any point with a parallel linear narrative, in which another storyline runs simultaneously, the same dramatic effect may not be created, as the audience would be distracted. As well as this, the genre of the track, pop/rock ballad, means that a busy music video with lots of narrative would be confusing and would not compliment the style of the track, in which its gentle sounds demand a simple narrative structure to support it.

Within the narrative of Klasfeld’s video to promote the band, The Script, a link can be identified with the portrayal of New York City which Chris Cunningham makes in the music video for leftfield’s Afrika Shox. In the case of The Man Who Can’t Be Moved, long sweeping avenues and over-towering high rises are used to create a sense of vulnerability of the lead character, who clearly is in an unfit mental state. This is similar to the portrayal of the black male in Afrika Shox who is seen to be insignificant in comparison to his surroundings, creating a sense of alienation. In some respects, the same could be said of the protagonist in Klasfeld’s production, that he feels isolated and out of place as a result of the situation he finds himself in. This type of editing allows Klasfeld to create a representation from the very start and thus, most effectively tells the audience the storyline of the narrative.

The World Trade Centre, Manhattan, as depicted in Cunningham’s Afrika Shox.

The lead protagonist as depicted in Klasfeld’s The Man Who Can’t Be Moved.

VoyeurismThe music video to promote The script’s The Man Who Can’t Be Moved contains a voyeuristic treatment of women in keeping with Goodwin’s theory of musicvideos. In the latter half of the video, where the protagonist has become

a form of celebrity, the images of the female news reporters bending over him as he slumps on the pavement very strongly presents the view that females are objects of beauty and glamour and are tending to the every needs of males in society. Furthermore, the narrative on the whole, is by nature voyeuristic, in which a view of dependence between the sexes being portrayed. The protagonist, who is shown to wander aimlessly along city streets waiting for a girl who he is unable to get over, is almost a contradiction of the voyeuristic view that females are dependent on male support, with the male in this music video seemingly needing the female. Otherwise, it could be viewed that the lead male here is actually presenting his view that he believes that the girl he has separated from is reliant on him and therefore feels the need to wait for her as he believes she will come.