Written by: Paul Epworth and Adele
Director: Sam Brown
Genre: Soul
Structure: Abstract
The video holds an abstract narrative, the shots are very abstract with hidden meanings relating to the song. The video also has many unconventional qualities.
Adele's focus is constantly away from the direct view of the camera. She never looks directly at the audience almost ignoring them or unacknowledging them. The audience almost feel as though they are watching the video through the eyes of the man she is singing about. This is because she doesn't look at the camera as if she is upset with it, like she is upset with the man in her past relationship. This is very unconventional of videos including the soul genre that this song belongs to. The artist usually sing directly to the camera to create an emotional attachment with them and create empathy with the audience. This is breaking that convention giving a detached feel to the video.
Another unconventional feature of the video is that Adele remains seated throughout it. Usually the singer would be shown from a variety of heights or standing. She also stays in the same location in the same spot. The fact she is seated could represent that she feels weak from the relationship break up and staying in the same place could show she is home bound feeling upset and doesn't want to go outside, she feels trapped. It could also represent the fact she is such a powerful singer she doesn't need to stand to wow an audience.
There are repeat use of zooms, especially at the beginning of the video to draw the audiences attention into the performer or the glasses of water on the floor. The technique is being used to pull the audience in and closer to the action. Slow motion is used in the shots of the dancer dressed in black and is dancing in a room full of flour. The room is covered in black dust sheets to contrast against the white flour and there is a bright light in the centre of the ceiling, which joins the back wall. This exaggerates the movement of the flour when it is flung around the room by the black stick she is dancing with. It also trails the material that hangs off the dancers costume.
There are many artistic and abstract shots which create audience interest. One of which is the bottom of the staircase there is a wooden board stood on iron legs at the left of the frame. Pottery is thrown moving from the right of the frame and smashing onto the board on the left of the frame. This is in time with the beat of the music. The person throwing the pottery remains unidentified creating mystery. The room is dimly light with a slight spotlight on the area of action. This could be representing paranormal activity or the violence of her relationship. It could also be seen to represent the artists broken heart or the permanent damage the relationship has caused. This is also very conventional of an abstract narrative as it leaves the audience asking questions.
There are two shots that create continuity between each other when cut between. We are introduce to a room filled with hundreds of glasses of water covering the floor. When the beat kicks the water vibrates. We are then introduced to, again, an unidentified drummer under a stair case. The room is dimly lit with a light bulb above the drummers head. There is a close up of the drummer using the kick drum in time with the beat of the music. These two scenes can be seen to relate as the drummer could be under the room filled with glasses of water, creating sound vibrations to make the water move. Again this is very abstract and dramatic and makes the audience think and work out what is going on in this abandoned house.
The next abstract shot we are confronted with is an empty room with a rounded rectangular dining table, made form dark wood. There is a city made entirely from white paper which covers the whole surface area of the table. Above it are 4 light bulbs suspended. An interesting lighting effect is used her as they dim it creates shadowing over the paper city emphasising the structures. The light bulbs eventually burst seeing a shower of sparks over the paper setting it alight. There are shots of the sparks and fire which are very artistic and mesmerising. This links with the lyric "there's a fire starting in my heart..." This could be seen as a visual metaphor that they put so much energy into their relationship that it overloaded and crashed like if you run to many volts of electricity through a light bulb it explodes. The fact the paper city burns and is destroyed could be symbolic of the destruction he has caused in her life and city.
The shot described in the previous paragraph creates continuity with the shots of the girl dancing in a room filled with flour. Towards the end of the song at the peak of the climax the flour creates so much fog you can only just see the dancer. Also the burning paper has created that much smoke you can barely make out the city structures. So when these shots are cut together they seam continuous and share similar colour matching.
All of the shots are filmed inside the one abandoned building. The room where Adele remains has dust coverings attached to the walls and a square piece of creased material taped to the wall. The chairs and remaining decor together with her classic black dress and over large bun with simplistic make up produce a very wealthy and sophisticated image. This ties in with the lyric "We could have had it all..." which is repeated through the chorus of the song, as the location remains constant this, like the lyric, is repeated through the structure of the video. The black outfits of all three people are related with death, funerals and sadness. The song holds a sad theme throughout. The costume and small cast in very conventional of an abstract narrative but is breaking the conventions of her genre and mainstream music focus.
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