The video for 'The Captain' by Biffy Clyro was released in 2009. Coming from the director of Guns 'n' Roses' "November Rain", you'd expect Andy Morahan to include a steady flow of drugs references, a good few beauty shots and snippets of live performance; to make the band look as 'cool' as possible. This, however, is very different. The video is a combination of Performance and Narrative, it could be interpreted as conceptual at times, though this is kept implicit throughout the video. The video depicts the band aboard a pirate ship, though they are not pirates. The lead singer, Simon Neil, is shown being whipped by a pirate and then held captive in a cage, the other two members of the band, Ben and James, are also aboard the ship but take smaller roles. As the video digresses a fight emerges and Simon escapes whilst the pirates are busy battling more official-looking seafarers.
The Mise-en-Scene is reminiscent of the Pirates of the Caribbean films, and is symbolic of the anarchic lifestyles lead by rock bands. In the opening scene the shots of the protagonist being whipped with his arms suspended above his head have religious connotations, this is intercut with shots of the pirates stamping their feet with impatience, perhaps this is a comment on the pressure bands are under to be brilliant all of the time and the demands they must fill. These shots are also intercut with the protagonist trapped in a cage, perhaps indicating that he feels that voyeurism has been taken too far and he feels like an animal in a cage at the zoo.
Camera shots are used quite gracefully throughout the video as all of the shots appear to be still or slow pans, there are very few jerky shots. Gay gaze is used on the protagonist throughout as he is only wearing trousers and there are some voyeuristic shots of his torso and tattoos.
The camera moves constantly and gently, giving the viewer the impression that they are on the boat with the band. Around the one minute mark the camera switches to a different shot yet it continues to zoom out, which is quite nifty editing. Also flashes of light have been used to heighten the emotions already felt in the piece and make it more dramatic.
The performance part of the video has also been given a pirate makeover, with the drummer beating a single drum with a stick and the guitars are rustic looking to keep with the period the video is set in. The protagonist lip-synchs throughout the video, though it is most prominent when he is in the cage as there are more close ups (around 2.20)
Towards the end of the video Simon is rescued by his band members, after stealing the keys from the captain of the pirate ship, showing the loyalty and friendship within the band. The editing gets more fast paced and the lights flash more as the battle culminates. In the very last part of the video (3.20 onwards) the video becomes more or less completely performance based showing that despite all the troubles and demands, they're still a band and still perform. It ends on a shot of a skull, the iconic pirate symbol, tied next to the ship's steering wheel, also a famous pirate-esque feature.
Aisling Cotter
Aisling Cotter
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