http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmSdTa9kaiQ
The video starts with a fade in to a medium shot of Bono. The camera pans slowly to the right whilst the singer stays stationary as the music begins. A smokey effect is used as the shot fades into the next, which is a medium shot of Larry and Edge playing their instruments, with speakers and amps in the background. The camera slowly zooms out until the men are positioned in a long shot and then the shadowy figure of Bono appears over the top of the shot, shrouded in the smoke. He fades away and we see a medium shot of Adam playing bass guitar. Bono fades back into the shot as the singing begins. He steps back into darkness and we see a lightning effect flash up before he appears again, now looking directly at the camera whilst singing. A shot of what appears to be branches of a tree swaying in the wind fades in over this and then a shot of the band playing fades in. The camera moves in towards Bono as he sings. A hand held camera is used to enhance verisimilitude, to make the viewer feel as if they could actually be there.
Next there is a straight cut to some more lightning images. A medium shot of Bono fades in over this clip, singing directly to the camera before looking away and fading into the darkness once again. A close up of Larry follows this, also fading out into darkness, which Bono then emerges from, again making eye contact with the viewer. He raises his arms and crosses his wrists, with the camera tilting up to follow this. As the shot fades out, smoke appears on the floor briefly, with a figure walking through it. This vanishes quite quickly, as a shot of Bono fades back in, so we don't get to see who the figure was.
With smoke whirling in the background, Bono sings directly to the camera which stays stationary in a medium shot. This shot fades out into darkness and we see the figure in the smoke very briefly again before a medium shot of Bono fades in with Edge playing in the background. The camera slowly moves forward towards Bono and then turns left away from him to frame Edge in a long shot. He fades into a cloud of smoke and a close up of Bono fades in. After this, we see a shadowy figure with light moving over the body. The image is sideways and appears to be a woman with a white sheet wrapped around her. This fades out and back into a clip of Bono singing with Edge and Larry in the background. The camera rises up into a high angle shot, looking down on just Bono and pans slightly right as he raises his arms, crossing his wrists as he did earlier. A rectangle of light shines down onto him, projecting his shadow across the floor. The camera zooms in on Bono as he lowers his arms and bends over whilst singing. He stands up, stretching out his arms as the camera draws in close and looks directly at the camera. The camera pans left, away from him and a close up of the woman's face, upside down, fades in.
Next we see a short clip of Adam positioned in a long shot and then a fast, blurred pan of a guitar, after which we briefly see Edge before a clip of Bono framed in a medium shot flashes in. The light expands and we see Edge stood behind him. This cuts to another blurred pan of a guitar which fades out to reveal a medium shot of Edge playing with Larry blurred in the background on the right. A medium shot of Bono fades in, with Bono taking the position of Larry, who can still be seen in this clip in the background but now on the left. The camera pans slightly to the right to view Adam in the background too.
A close up of the woman fades in, brightly lit now, with her arms up and crossed at the wrists like Bono earlier in the video. After this, there is a montage of clips all overlapping each other, starting with a clip of Bono in a medium shot singing with a close up of his face over this image, both on the screen at the same time. This continues with close ups of the other band members fading in over the main image of Bono singing. Another guitar image is also used. Then there are two sepia clips, one of Bono and the other of Edge, before switching back to colour with a medium shot of Edge playing with Larry in the background. This cuts to a close up of Adam who turns away from the camera as he plays.
A close up of the woman fades in, brightly lit now, with her arms up and crossed at the wrists like Bono earlier in the video. After this, there is a montage of clips all overlapping each other, starting with a clip of Bono in a medium shot singing with a close up of his face over this image, both on the screen at the same time. This continues with close ups of the other band members fading in over the main image of Bono singing. Another guitar image is also used. Then there are two sepia clips, one of Bono and the other of Edge, before switching back to colour with a medium shot of Edge playing with Larry in the background. This cuts to a close up of Adam who turns away from the camera as he plays.
Next there are clips of the woman again, who appears to be naked, juxtaposed between clips of Bono singing. This then cuts to a black and white close up of Edge in which the camera tilts up quickly over his face. He fades into darkness and then there is a close up of Larry, looking directly at the camera. This cuts to a close up of Bono removing his guitar, with the camera zooming into his face quickly. This cuts to the woman again who we now see is with a man. This cuts to a short clip of Larry playing and then to Bono, who is swinging his guitar around with a spotlight shining on him so that his shadow is projected onto the wall behind him. This cuts back to a close up of Larry from a different angle and then to a medium shot of Edge playing, and then back to Bono. We then see the man and woman again briefly before a cut back to Bono, and then to Larry. Then we see an arm of what I assume to be the woman's, stretching out with the smoke swirling around her body. This cuts to a close up of Adam and then the video ends with a cut to Bono who is spinning his guitar around in a circle.
I think this is a good video because it uses many different shot types and camera angles which make it interesting. The use of the hand held camera works well in this video because I think it adds a sense of confusion and it also makes you feel like you could actually be there. The video is rather dark in colour overall, with the shadows and dark clothing worn by the band. Some parts of the video are filmed in black and white, some in sepia and some in colour which also contributes to making the video interesting. A lot of transitions are used between clips, mostly fades to make clips overlap. I think these go well with this song as they sort of fit the music, which is quite slow and atmospheric, where as these transitions may not have worked very well with other U2 songs, including Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own. Also, Bono and the other band members often make eye contact with the camera, and thus the audience, which makes them feel involved.
I think this is a good video because it uses many different shot types and camera angles which make it interesting. The use of the hand held camera works well in this video because I think it adds a sense of confusion and it also makes you feel like you could actually be there. The video is rather dark in colour overall, with the shadows and dark clothing worn by the band. Some parts of the video are filmed in black and white, some in sepia and some in colour which also contributes to making the video interesting. A lot of transitions are used between clips, mostly fades to make clips overlap. I think these go well with this song as they sort of fit the music, which is quite slow and atmospheric, where as these transitions may not have worked very well with other U2 songs, including Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own. Also, Bono and the other band members often make eye contact with the camera, and thus the audience, which makes them feel involved.
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