In September 2013, an artist named Hozier released his debut single “Take me to church”, which was the opening track of the album named “Hozier”. Though Hozier was a name that wasn't particularly well known in the music industry at the time, he caught the attention of all the world with this music video along with the lyrics. The video follows conventions addressing the controversial issue of attacks lead on homosexuals, and was filmed as a response to Russia’s antipathy towards homosexuality. The video and the lyrics of “Take me to church” reflects the instances of everyday homophobia by showing the violence and discrimination gay people suffer, and at the same time the video addresses the wrongs of discriminating against freedom of sexuality.
The video is filmed all in black and white, making the visuals bleak and tragic, reflecting the message and lyrics of the song. This effect could be seen as a representation of how some people see the world as black and white, plain, and emotionless — refusing to accept some ways of life, such as the fluidity of sexuality. The lighting during the video is poor with no strong highlighting, and the weather is all the time cloudy, and it brings an aspect of sadness and sorrow that in this music video is caused by a society’s discrimination.
The music video follows a romantic relationship between two men, and the opening sequence starts with a chest burning in flames; this could represent the couples love, and potentially the danger that comes with it. We also see a flashback that we later find out brings the tragic end to the video, and we see the couple panicking and running through the town looking for each other.
Throughout the video we are repeatedly shown a chest, along with sequences of the couple burying it. The chest could be a visual representation of the men's sexuality which they try to keep secret by burying it, but they end up digging it up. It seemed to be something very precious too, as it was locked, and buried in a place that only the two of them know about.
By digging that chest, it could mean that the couple are attempting to bury their feelings and emotions. In the video, we are shown a flock of birds in the sky: this is creating the theme of a longing for freedom, which is followed throughout the video, as we later see the couple stare at an airplane. The use of these sequences shows us how the two men feel- the characters are stuck in a world of judgment and discrimination, and they long for a place to be safe and live their lives free of judgement.
After we are shown sequences of the couple spending time together doing ordinary things, we are shown a man who seems to understand what is going on, and from this point the music video becomes a story of unprovoked violence rather than love. The masked group, upon learning that the men are gay, follow them and barge into their houses, assault them, and destroy their possessions. This mob could be interpreted as a representation of the church people, as Hozier with his lyrics is expressing his frustration with the Catholic Church, and he indirectly lets the audience understand some of the religion’s hypocrisy.
The last sequences of the video show the main character being dragged against his will, with his lover watching unable to do anything. We see a guy holding a flaming torch, and whereas earlier in the video fire may have represented love, it is now a signifier of anger and dangerous intentions, as well as the threat the kidnappers pose towards the protagonist being dragged. The men find the couple's chest and burn it, relating the end of the video to the beginning. The closing lyrics make the clearest statement of the song, that people should be able to do what comes naturally to them, free from any religious, moral, or cultural standards.
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