Taylor Swift - Love Story

LoveStoryisanexampleofavideowithintertextual
references.Thismeansthatitcontainsreferencesfromother
literarythemesorfilms.Inthiscase,thevideodirectoris
makingreferencestoRomeoandJulietaswellasgeneral,
traditionallovestoriessuchasinfairytales,withideasof
anidealisticrelationship.Theseideas,however,areusedto
reinforcethewrittenlyricswhicharebothsungandperformed
withinthevideotofurtherenhanceourunderstandingofthis
lovestory.

The music video lasts close to 4 minutes long and during which
time, the audience is let in to a very clear love story
hence the name of the song. The content of the video includes
a girl and boy meeting at college, and are slowly drawn to one
another. However, there appears to be another layer of
affection and a connection between the protagonists through
the inter-textual references made within the video.

The fact that the director has made the decision to enhance
the understanding for the audience by literally including
these literary references to Romeo and Juliet makes it even
more appealing and interesting for the audience. It enables
the audience to instantly feel connected to the narrative and
the characters as there is an element of familiarity there.
Romeo and Juliet is probably one of the most well-known
plays written by William Shakespeare; a romance and tragedy
play.

Love (more specifically forbidden love) and desire are clearly

prominent themes within the video. This refers to the
narrative theory explored by Todorov in relation to the
equilibrium, and then how the equilibrium has been dismantled
as they are no longer together, before being restored once
more. The lyrics performed are in coordination with the
narrative within the music video of the stars in the music
video and how they become close, then separated and then re-

united once more. Love is also a generic theme of pop/country

songs, of which this is a part.

Equilibrium

Dismantled Equilibrium
Restored
Equilibrium

The particular use of the wide shot where the girl is on the
balcony alone, helpless and searching for her love, depicts
the part of the narrative in which the equilibrium has been
dismantled. This is also an example of the use of an
archetypal character. It relates to Propps narrative theory
of the princess who needs to be saved. In this music video,
she represents the princess who needs to be reunited to her
love. The fact that the main stars are indeed a male and a
female is reflective of conventional love stories between man
and woman the typical binary opposite within pop music
videos. In effect, it represents heterosexual relationships
which are the most common in these types of music videos.

Through mis-en-scene, the inter-textual references can be

understood more easily which allows the audience to
familiarise with them. For instance, the settings used
indicate a difference in time. The college is the first
setting the audience is introduced to in a wide shot, and this
demonstrates how and where the actors first meet each other.
The books that are carried by both the girl and the boy
further indicate that this is set within a scholarly
institution.

This may suggest that love can be found anywhere, especially

in school, which is generally where most childhood sweethearts
find one another which can be considered as quite a clich
idea. Having said that, this relationship may represent the
innocence within love: the energy, the lack of worries and
hopes and dreams for the future, ultimately the desire for
love. It also reinforces the song lyrics, We were both young
when I first saw you.

The other, more prominent

settings within the music video
are the castle, the ballroom
scenes and the garden of the
castle. The beauty of the
buildings, along with how old
they appear to be suggests that
this part of the narrative is
from another time. The ballroom dances were traditions from
centuries ago, where courtship took place. The long shot which
includes her waiting at the balcony for her love is not only
making the visually representation of the lyrics Im standing
there|on a balcony in summer air. More specifically, this is
a key inter-textual reference to Romeo and Juliet with the
balcony scene in the play.

Much of these inter-textual references are

almost identical to scenes within Romeo
and Juliet. For instance, when they first
meet each other in the ballroom, the

way in which the actors interact with each other demonstrate a

connection that only they share, which is something that the
audience want to have. This is in relation to Carl Rogers
theory about the ideal partner in which the audience of the
text wants to aspire to have a relationship similar to that
shown to them. The fact that the lighting is fairly dim
reflects a sort of mysterious and hidden love, very much like
the relationship within Romeo and Juliet. However, through
the medium shot, the facial expression of both actors suggest
that their feelings are still very much strong and current,
hence the candles burning in the background of both shots
indicate a sense of hope for their relationship; a positive
light.

Costume design is also a key element in terms of aesthetics

and historical/literary references. For instance, the ballroom
scenes consist of ball gowns and suits which were common
attire in the earlier centuries such as in Romeo and Juliet.

The female tends to wear lighter

coloured gowns, predominantly
gold and white. The gold
represents the lavish and
luxurious lifestyles of the past,
almost like a fairy tale.
Although the narrative depicts a
fictitious relationship, other
relationships can still relate to theirs. The white generally
represents her innocence, and the fact that her father within
the narrative doesnt want her to be in contact with the guy.
This also refers to Levi-Strauss theory of binary opposites,
in reference to man vs. woman. There is a constant need to
expose of the conflict affiliated with man vs. woman.

The fact that the female has the largest amount of screen time
indicates that she is the lead singer. Constantly, she makes
eye contact with the camera as though she is performing for
the benefit of the audience behind the camera and therefore
breaking the fourth wall. This is a key technique as it means
that the audience can feel more connected to the narrative and
their story. Especially when she stands alone on the balcony,
the camera moves from a wide shot to a medium close up shot;
the dynamics of the camera movements reflect the fact that
she, too, has a dynamic and constant significance within the
narrative.

In terms of editing, the director has purposefully matched the

visual presentations to that of the lyrics within the song.
This allows the audience to do less work in creating
connections with what they hear and what they visualise as the
visual aids are there for them. For example, the line See the
lights| see the party, the ball gowns. See you make your way
through the crowd seamlessly matches with the filming. This
effect would have been completely achieved through postproduction. This is a vital techniques for creating
connections between the filming and the lyrics, something that
I want to utilise in my own music video. At some points,
particularly with the opening scenes of the video, the
changing of scenes cut to the beat, too. The song is fairly
upbeat, as it is a hybrid of country and pop, so the guitar
plucking throughout the music video is a constant, hence
making the entire music video altogether free flowing yet
rhythmic and dynamic.