Bjork - Bachelorette

bjork - bachelorette


Björk is represented as a very unique, eccentric and original artist, with her gentle singing voice and pixie-like hair. Bachelorette opens with Björk narrating what she is doing and in this case, finds. There are still images used which make the video appear more of a book with images (when she is looking at book and sits opening it). This creates relationships between the lyrics and visuals. The soundtrack begins when she says “One day…” which creates a relationship with the music and visuals.
The video changes from a smooth, story-telling pace to a more frantic state. As it is very hectic and chaotic it could correspond to how she feels when she becomes (quite literally) the face and apparent author of her book. The way the theatre set works around her and visually shows her way to fame increases this, as everything moves very fast. As the book continues to fill it's pages with her life, she seems naive and innocent against the world of business and fame.
An interesting change from black and white to colour is used, from the past- when Björk first finds the book and begins her adventure. Colour is then used when she is in the theatre, performing as herself whilst her husband (the publisher) is in the audience. This focuses the attention on her and makes her new found fame seem colourful and bright. However, the black and white film returns when things start to go wrong, starting with her relationship with the husband and the disappearance of the books' words.
The editing in the music video is continuously fast-paced, with still images and the books words appearing as though they are being typed- all creating pace. Even more, the theatres audience transform into shrubby plants that could link to how the book was originally buried in a wood. The book is then buried once again whilst Björk is wrapped by the leafy branches (or roots) in the producers office. Thus creating feelings of claustrophia as she is unable to escape from her new world.
Further issues tackled in Bachelorette could be how fame can be damaging and doesn’t always last. There are issues with how Björk just found the book and made it her path to fame (copyright issues?) as it wasn‘t necessarily hers to begin with. Further more, her publisher and consequent husband seemed to only be interested in the money she made from the book, as he made the deal with the producer (shown through him shaking the producers hand, whilst Björk sat looking anxious) and when a newspaper headline says “It’s over”.
The music video ends in a strange dreamy atmosphere, once again in the woods, whilst she sings a powerful note. It's as if the woods is her place to escape and her place of safety. The video draws to an end with a gentle (black) fading transition as she sings softly.