Love The Way You Lie – Eminem feat. Rihanna
The video for ‘Love the way you Lie’ is about a passionate, violent relationship between a couple which is acted by Megan Fox and Dominic Monaghan. This relationship could possibly reflect the relationship of Rihanna and Chris Brown, whose relationship was publisized due to the violence and abuse which Chris Brown enforced upon her. This we have learnt through the media, as part of Rihanna’s image that has been constructed. The characters of Megan Fox and Dominic Monaghan are meant to loosely represent Rihanna and Eminem.
The location of the video is a house which appears to be secluded. This sense of isolation and the dark lighting involving dull colour on the walls and in the décor suggests that they are perhaps cut off from the outside world. This to some extent reflects the celebrity lifestyle of Eminem and Rihanna, which is very much absent from the real world. Rihanna is dressed in leather hot pants and a jacket, however, the emphasis is not drawn to her ‘sexiness’, but more to her confidence and power. Although she is an attractive female, our attention is brought to her boldness which is again emphasized by her red nail varnish and bright red hair, which aren’t considered to be typically beautiful. The red implies her fiery personality, and this intensity and danger is accentuated by the use of fire which acts as a running motif throughout the whole video. This whole fierce image, suggests that despite the abuse that occurred in her relationship with Chris Brown, she remains strong with her dignity still in tact. Eminem on the other hand, is dressed in a tank top, revealing the tattoos on his arms, which were originally associated with prisoners, but now still suggest trouble or some kind of violent nature or background. The lyrics of the song reflect his violent nature, along with the aggression which is portrayed through the acting of the couple. The video however challenges this aggression by videoing Eminem singing in a field. This openness and vastness of this field suggests freedom. This hint at freedom suggests that he has come far from his violent background, and this song is almost a tribute to his regret. The use of bright lighting in the field contrasts with the dark lighting of the rest of the video. This enforces the idea that Eminem is looking back at what used to be, and suggests how he has moved forward.
The use of shallow focus to reveal Rihanna’s face in the foreground as most of her shots, suggests her significance and ultimately her star image. The fire in the background is used to emphasize her significance, but in a way which highlights her confidence and bravery. In contrast to these close ups of her face, which reveal her angry facial expressions, we are confronted with wide panning shots of Eminem in an empty field. The camera pans across to reveal the vastness of the field, suggesting a feeling of freedom, but also a feeling of isolation. The low angle used to look up at Eminem suggests his significance, again reinforcing a sense of star image. When the two characters are together, the scenes are mainly filmed with a handheld camera, to emphasize the tension in the relationship. The use of close ups further highlights this tension, but also shows the intensity of their lover for each other.
The pace of the editing is generally very fast-paced, which reflects the violence and intensity of the relationship. There are loads of short shots which are linked together with the common factor portraying the intensity of their relationship, but the use of cross-cutting suggests the juxtaposition of passion and violence. The audience is made to feel sympathetic towards the woman, because in most cases, she is the victim of the abuse. The narrative is portrayed through a mixture of the lyrics and the action performed by Megan Fox and Dominic Monaghan, but suggests that it is meant to reflect the personal feelings of Rihanna and Eminem.
In conclusion, both Rihanna and Eminem are portrayed positively throughout the video, despite the violence which is featured. The combination of mise-en-scene, camerawork and editing of the video are successful in portraying the powerful, poignant lyrics of the song.
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