Metallica - One

analysis
This is a long video, which was the first Metallica made.
The main point wich i can draw from this video is the intertextual references and integration of other forms of media, in the shape of video clips from the film 'Johnny got his Gun' These are coupled with quotes from the movie to make the song almost feel 'associated' with it.
The film is about a man seriously injured in the war and the empty life he leads in his hospital bed.
A few noteworthy things about the video are the fact that aside from the clips from the film, the whole video is performance only, which is a convention for music videos of the time - the 1980's.
The performance in the video is in Black and White, which is synonymous with the 40's and when the film was set. Only certain clips from the film are in colour.
The room theyre performing in is also very empty, which related to the song, which describes the empty life of an injured soldier.

The camera work is slow, with many shots faded into each other. This technique represents the way someone in his situation would drift in and out of consciousness.

The narrative in this video is very ambiguous, although in the end, the main character gets what he wants; to be set free.

A technique used in this video is cut to beat editing, where the shots are edited together in time to the rhythm of the song.


The genre of this video and song is most definately metal/ heavy rock. the video narrative is an emotional rollercoaster, as oppsed to being abstract or mentally challenging.

The target audience of this video is also the average metal fan, similar to the target audience i'm trying to communicate.