REM - Losing my Religion (Analysis)

The title is a Southern expression meaning "At my wit's end," - as if things were going so bad you had lost your faith in God. If you were "Losing your religion" over a person it could also mean losing faith in that person.
"Losing My Religion" itself is about "someone who pines for someone else. It's unrequited love."
"I've always felt the best kinds of songs are the ones where anybody can listen to it, put themselves in it and say, 'Yeah, that's me.'"

Video Production:

The music video for "Losing My Religion" was directed by Tarsem Singh; Stipe (lead singer) wanted it to be a straightforward performance video whereas Singh wanted to create a video in the style of a certain type of Indian filmaking, where everything would be "melodramatic and very dreamlike".
Singh drew inspiration from the Italian painter Caravaggio and Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky, he also included lots of religious imagery such as 'Saint Sebastian'.


Lyrics:

Oh, life is bigger
It's bigger than you
And you are not me
The lengths that I will go to
The distance in your eyes
Oh no, I've said too much
I set it up

(chorus)
That's me in the corner
That's me in the spotlight, I'm
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no, I've said too much
I haven't said enough
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try

Every whisper
Of every waking hour I'm
Choosing my confessions
Trying to keep an eye on you
Like a hurt lost and blinded fool, fool
Oh no, I've said too much
I set it up
Consider this
Consider this
The hint of the century
Consider this
The slip that brought me
To my knees failed
What if all these fantasies
Come flailing around
Now I've said too much
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try

But that was just a dream
That was just a dream

(repeat chorus)

But that was just a dream
Try, cry, why try?
That was just a dream
Just a dream, just a dream
Dream




"Losing My Religion" by 'REM' incorporates all three themes of a music video:

-Abstract
-Narrative
-Performance


Mise-en-scéne:

Most frequently demonstrated is the use of religious imagery for example, the fallen angel.



This is used to emphasise the meaning of the title; i.e. losing faith in God and therefore possibly losing faith in another (hence the theme of "unrequited love").
It could be assumed that it is used because of the influence of Caravaggio, whom painted many religious scenes such as 'The Crucifixion of Saint Peter' and 'David With the Head of Goliath'. This artist could also be the influence for the neutral colouring of the main room used in the video, the dull tone suggests a renaissance-like colour used in paintings of the time, an example being the 'Mona Lisa'.

A mandalin is shown to be played by one of the band members; this instrument creating the most noticeable sound out of all the others instruments in the song. The style of the mandalin also fits with the aged look of the video, this may too be why they chose to highlight it.



Similarly, each band member is displayed in very plain monotone clothing, this could be done to again emphaise the aged look of the video as the clothes do not look of this era.
The room itself that the video is filmed in is very barren and empty, this may represent the protagonist's emotions of "unrequited love" - their life appearing to be devoid of anything. Upon similar lines the lead singer is immediatly shown to us as sitting on a chair with his back towards us, and him appearing to be solitary. This demonstrating that he has no one to turn to as he feels he is "At wits end".


Editing & Lighting:

There appears to be minimal editing (this may be due to the band and director wanting to maintain some realism, however short flashes are used to transfer one shot to another - these flashes give a slightly mysterious and eerie element to the shots. When the lead singer is wearing angel wings these flashes help give the effect of flight where he himself cannot. The editing also gives a slightly dream-like feel; this is what the director wanted to achieve through his "Indian filmaking".

The majority of the video uses low key lighting as the overall moral of the video is sad and isolated. The low key lighting appears to silhouette each figure whereupon it isolates mankind further from religion. However high key lighting is used to highlight each figure/God of religion - as if to show them as an importance and some form of guidance to the men in the video.




As the music reaches a climax, and the narrative becomes more violent, fast paced editing begins to be used to demonstrate a frantic scene, this could also connote the protagonist is coming to his "wit's end".


Camera Shot & Movement:

It becomes apparent that the long shot dominates the music video. This shot is initially used to introduce the whole band in the same scene. The majority of these shots appear to be used for the lead singer to make him the main focus of the video. However it also goes on to introduce other characters in the video & their attire.


Close up shots are also quite frequent, for example this shot is used to highlight the hands on the lead singer's shoulders which then squeeze his shoulders in reassurance.
Close ups also display the lead singer's emotion during the narrative and also whilst he is singing.
Interestingly a close up shot of the lead singer's eye is used along with the line "the distance in your eyes", after this point the camera zooms out and the man's face blurs, this shows that they use some of their shots in relation to the lyrics themselves to help paint a clearer image to the audience.

The camera also often tracks the characters as they move around their scenes, this helps to involve the audience into the narrative.