‘Titled’ by Lana MacIver is one of the few music videos TMFF had the chance to host. ‘Titled’ manages to be quite an abstract journey in terms of the visual story accompanying the lyrics. A strange sensation of instability emanates all along the video from the ‘ravaged’ instrumental arrangement while a psychic is trying to foresee the future and a wire walker treads carefully on a stretched rope. On the rough, almost abstract piano and the melancholic and sometimes sad violin background, the lyrics poetically ‘sketch’ a lonely wandering throughout London and a hectic love affair generating both disappointment, guilt and feelings of relief and refuge.
In combination with the shots of the wire walker and the psychic the lyrics indicate an inner oscillation, a fight between the good and the vicious sides of personality as well as an assiduous search for answers in the attempt of regaining balance.
Interestingly, shots with the violinist singing only appear outside the lyrics excerpts which leaves the impression that the personality’s struggles (the vocalist singing) are being replaced by feelings of melancholy (the violin chords). The character in the story is constantly being caught between these oscillating states.
The cinematography aesthetics are good and the visual story fits the lyrics brilliantly, making the video an allegory.
All in all Lana MacIver’s ‘Titled’ manages to successfully fit allegoric visuals to the lyrics in order to communicate the exact feelings behind the words. Undoubtedly a good music video!
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