Music video

Name: Treat me like your mother
Band: The dead weather
Director: Jonathan Glazer
Released: 2009

To say whether this video is conventional in terms of the genre of music is difficult, as the music itself could come under many different headings. You can, however say that it follows the conventions of the darker subgenres of alternative rock music, in the sense that it is aggressive, dark, and (to a certain extent) violent.
The video can be described as a narrative based one, although that narrative will most likely be a metaphorical one. If not looked at metaphorically, the video could be taken in a very different way. Other than the two members of the band in the video shown singing, it cannot be said that the band is seen at any point of the video performing the song.
The music is very aggressive, and the video relates to this in the use of firearms to (I believe) show the course of a relationship (albeit a very fraught one). I find the way the video is introduced by an exploding bomb very interesting, as I find that this relates directly to very abrupt beginning of the song. The fast paced editing of the video is fast-paced, also reflecting the agression of the music. It is interesting to note that the 180 degree rule is used for the most part during this video, maybe treating the exchange of gunfire as a kind of dialogue, thus further giving the video a more metaphorical meaning.



The band's constructed image is referenced to throughout the video. The mise en scene is instrumental in this, including the wearing of black leather jackets by both band members in the video, and the overall predominance in their appearance of the colour black, which is part of the image of the band as being dark and aggressive , as black has connotations of menace and danger. One thing however, that can be noticed, is that the black clothes worn by the two main characters in the video are almost directly contrasted by the pale sands of the desert that is the setting for the video.
The setting gives us the sense that the events taking place are somehow planned beforehand, and gives us the sense of a duel of the type that is so often seen in many a western movie.
The collection of buildings in the background seem to tell us that this is being watched, although there is no direct hint towards this. There is still a sense that the two people there are the only people for miles, and that this is between both of them, as shown by the fast close ups of both of their faces.
This video is a metaphorical narrative based video, if seen in this way. It could also merely be a visual representation of the sound. Both of these could be viable explanations, seeing as there is no direct link between the lyrics and the video. Either way I believe director has succeeded in making a video that fits the song and the band it was made for.





Here is a link


Lyrics-

Don’t act like you can’t act
I always think you do it
You better learn to shake hands
Treat me like your mother

Don’t act like you can’t act
Stand up like a man
You better learn to shake hands
Treat me like your mother

You came up, too late
You came up, too late now
You came up, too late
To do a thing

Come on look me in the eye
You wanna try to tell a lie
I’ll bet you can’t and you know why?
I’m just like your mother

Look me in the eye now
You wanna try to tell a lie
You can’t and you know why?
I’m just like your mother

You came up, too late
You came up, too late now
You came up, too late
Play dumb, play dead, play straight

Who’s got it figured out?
{play dumb, play dead, play straight}
Who’s got it figured out? Play straight
Time to manipulate

M-A-N-I-P-U-late
M-A-N-I-P-U-late
M-A-N-I-P-U-late
M-A-N-I-P-U-late
Am I too,
Am I late
Am I too
Am I late
Am I, am I, am I, am I,
am I too
Late

Who’s got it figured out
Left right, left right got it figured out
Who’s got it figured out play straight

Stand up like a man
You better learn to shake hands
Look me in the eye now
Treat me like your mother

Come on, look me in the eye
You wanna try to tell a lie?
You can’t and you know why?
I’m just like your mother

Play dumb, play dead
Tryin’ to manipulate

You blink when you breathe an d you breathe when you lie
You blink when you lie
You blink when you breathe an d you breathe when you lie
You blink when you lie
You blink when you breathe an d you breathe when you lie
You blink when you lie

Who’s got it figured out
Left right, left right got it figured out
Who’s got it figured out, play straight
Tryin to manipulate
Who’s got it figured out
{Left, left right} left right left right
Who’s got it figured out, play straight
Tryin to manipulate

You blink when you breathe an d you breathe when you lie
You blink when you lie
Who’s got it figured out, play straight