SUN GOES DOWN (MEDIA LANGUAGE) Flashcards
(12 cards)
Opening sequence- establishing shot (extreme close up of white eye)
Blind wise person archetype/ myth—the white contacts evoke visual impairment, signfies the idea that he may be blind in a physical/ conventional sense–but he is spirtually insightful/ seeing (Tiresias in Greek mythology).
Visual metaphor- detached from superfical perceptions, judgmenet- links with overall narrative about not changing who he is, but changing how sees himself.
Ethereal purple/ blue colour scheme
Purple- associated with spirtuality, royalty and transformation.
Ethereal purple-blue suggests a dream-like, hyperreal liminal space between past, present, reality.
Functions as a simulacrum of healing and transformation– that audiences are supposed to accept as emotionally authentic.
Zoom out/ long shot of lotus pose floating above water in a fantasy, hyppereal state
Lotus pose (cultural references)– rooted in Eastern spirituality–represents rebirth, and inner peace. (representation- has trancended earthly attachments + pain).
White suit (costuming)- signfies idea of blank slate/ Aristotelian concept of tabula rasa/ spirtual purity/ concept of the ‘higher self’.
Cross earing (christian iconograpy mixed with eastern iconography)- in this space traditional meaning has collapsed as he constucts a hybrid spirtual identity–reflects post-modern collapse of fixed meaning (Barthes) and rise of simulacra (Baudrilllard) where signs no longer point to single orginal truth.
In this symbolic realm, Lil Nas X becomes both the prophet and the deity, reconfiguring religion to suit a deeply personal, queer spiritual journey. The imagery suggests that true transcendence is self-constructed, not inherited from traditional institutions.
Tabular rasa- constructing identity from a place of innoncece
Intertextual reference
Water-bending and mise-en-scene
Elemental control (water-bending) symbolises Lil Nas X’s mastery over his past — suggesting he is no longer drowning in trauma but instead curating his identity.
Each droplet acts like a diegetic screen or memory portal, turning internal thoughts into visual artefacts.
Symbolic code (Barthes): Water = emotion, memory, purification. The droplets literalise emotional reflection — he’s sifting through affective memory.
Water bending- intertexual references to past selves and music videos (autobigoraphical narrative)
Incoperates intertextual references to his past music videos recognisable to his fans as easter eggs.
There is one intertextual reference to his music video “Panini” in which he was closted and represented as a straight, macho , aggressive in pursuit of relationships, suggesting that he now recognise this as a false persona.
Highlights his metamorphisis as an artist.
Narrative flashback to his first job at Taco Bell
References his partnership with Taco Bell (first job)
He performs/ sings to his younger self (Goodwin’s music video theory)- creates binary opposition between healed higher self and suffering teenself.
Audio-visual achorage- The lyrics ‘you need an instant ease’ are directly synchronized with his gentle, reassuring gestures.
Car scene with his (actual) father- autobiographical story-telling
Non-verbal codes (distant body language connotes a poor relationship which lacks commuication)
References hegemonic masculine culture where men do not dicuss emotions or create meaningful bonds.
Mise-en-scene – confined space of the car signfies emotional claustrophobia, pressure and internal conflict.
Car scene- internalised colourism and homophobia.
Lyrics (non-digetic sound)- express ideas of racial othering.“Why are my lips so big?” and “Am I too dark?” point to internalised questions of racial self-worth.
Hall- contextualised transcoding process- shows senstivity and insecurity- challenging strong black male trope.
School scene- the prom poster and prom scene
Tracking long shot used to follow him through his school journey, which highlights his loneliness and isolation, most likely due to his queer identity.
Costuming- alien key change on bag- signifier of his outsider status/ internalized message of being the ‘other’
Fast pace editing and cross cutting between younger Nas alone and heterosexual couples dancing together- creates a clear binary opposition between what society deems as normal or natural and other (Butler- Gender trouble- queerness marked by inability to peform socially sanctioned roles.
Bathroom scene
Mise-en-scene is a confined, sterile and isolating place symbolising a emotional entrapment and shame (cubicle functions as a quasi-closet)
Over-the-shoulder and close-up shots make the viewer feel like they are intruding on an intimate, private moment — intensifying empathy.
Close up of Nas crying provides a radical counter to the cultural expectations of masucline stoicism.
Leaving the bathroom and re-intering the dance
The act of self-comforting visualises self-acceptance and mental healing. Instead of waiting for external validation, the protagonist literally reaches inward .
His higher self leads him to the dance—he enters with confidence. He dances and smiles with the other teens. He’s positioned in the centre of the dance.
Theres a series of close ups on his smiling face indicating acceptance and intimacy and connections audiences are positioned to feel with Nas.
Final shot- extreme close up of his eye (cyclical narrative- new equliribium)
Then there is a close up on his eye (cyclical narrative) which turns white as it did in the beginning indicating that he has gained new insight.
Butler – He no longer “performs” a heterosexual, closeted role; instead, he re-scripts his identity , embracing a new way of being that challenges gender/sexual norms.
