Synopsis:
The video deals with the idea of Cupid - she is seen watching over couples, using her bow and arrows to ignite people's passion for each other. So after watching many human intimate displays through her work, Cupid becomes overwhelmed with the need to find someone of her own to love and for them to love her in return. She becomes obsessed by love and literally builds and creates the kind of person she wants to love and when that’s not enough she goes out looking for it wherever she can find it. When all her attempts fail she is broken, done with finding love, it kills her she shoots herself believing that she’ll be by herself forever. but when she least expects it, Love finds her, literally awakens her and opens her eyes.
The song was released as the sixth and last single from Sheeran's debut album '+' in november 2012.
The obsession in which the protagonist (Cupid) expresses over love, is amplified through the use of mise-en-scene. The use of blue, desaturated filters convey the cold and lonely emotions she feels towards the idea of love, which is further enhanced by the distorted effect created by the smoke and blur in which she is concealed by. Her clothes she wears are plain, colourless and bland which may reflect her view on life, they also appear torn in a mid close up shot, which could suggest that she is damaged and broken herself. Use of harsh, bright artificial lighting emphasizes that the lack of warmth and happiness in her life, which reflects the narrative.
By utilising close up shots, the audience can clearly see her emotions expressed, which evokes empathy from many audience members. The close ups focus on significant objects, such as the wooden mannequins, help to illustrate the plot line for the audiences.
Structurally, at the beginning of the video, the shots are longer and use slow panning and dolly shots. However, when the song reaches the climax, the shots are much shorter with rapid editing, which builds suspense. The cuts between the different shots, appear random and are not in sync or in a particular rhythm, which also conveys her disillusion and confusion.
The beginning, establishing shot shadows the ending of the song, and therefore, is a non-linear structure.
As the camera zooms out from the establishing shot, it cuts to insignificant, material objects such as a fan, and an old kettle, this is used to show that this is all she has and that her life is pretty empty. The only love she seems to have is framed pictures of strangers in love.
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