Madonna Like A Prayer

 In the music video of Madonna, Like a Prayer made in 1989, she is representing the idea of race and women’s power in a controversial way, fighting against everything that is considered within the term of racists, showing equality and freedom towards those victimised by it and underestimated.

The genre of music for this music video is a mixture between pop and African. This was done to attract a certain type of audience and clearly target the meaning of the song and the music video. I believe that the creator of this music video wanted to make something outsides of the typical stereotype, and as Madonna at the time she was already consider a famous and well known artist she wouldn’t be judged, as expected but hope for a realisation from the public.

This video shows that Madonna is an artist, not afraid for what she believes for and ready to fight for it. This was really meaningful at the time as not only partied was acted against black people but also women were unconsidered and there thoughts weren’t important as they didn’t have any rights of decisions making.

Nowadays the situation has changed drastically, making that music video appealing very modern with topics that are discussed and experience in everyday life, starting form young age.

The video represent Madonna as a religious, good looking woman, to clear the idea of her being the main character of the music video and her being the artist of the piece. This shown in several ways, with her being part of most scenes, and camera ways lots of close up of her face, emphasising even more the idea of beauty and single artist, also she is seen singing multiple part of the song.

This video has a specifically target audience, teenager and young adults as the genre of music is what used be a good representation at the time, sexuality, racisms, religion and women are all represented into a clip of 3 minutes making really intense but interesting.

The targeted audience can see them self in that situation or experienced, making the lyrics more close to them. It can bring up lots of different feeling and emotions.

In this music video we have the representation violence in the first few minutes of the clip, were we can see a group of white guy, beating a girl up and a black boy coming to help her, but being confused for the delinquent by the police and being arrested. Madonna saw the entire scene but frightened by the happening she decided to run away.

Confused and upset she ended up churching and relying on religion to find the right answer.

In here we see her knees down being blessed by a black God looking similar to the character in the previous scene.

Low angled, Madonna illustrates the power of women, being lower than men but also the power of religion. The black God represented with a high angle shows power and control over the situation.

Another strong sequence shown is Madonna frustrated by the fact she left an innocent person finish into jail, so she is singing and in the background there crosses burnings, symbol of KKK.

After Madonna woke up from her dream she has a revelation from religion about the right thing to do, deciding to go to police and tell the true letting the innocent character free.



This added a stronger image of the idea of black people being underestimated and not considered as people but as animal that shouldn’t have any rights. This video is very against all this that at the time was a huge argument that provoked wars, rebellions and the death of lots of innocents.

It shows a very strong message, but also it shows no fear from Madonna to appear as she is and to be shown as a strong woman as she is, with the right of saying her opinion about the topic publicly.

The end of music is clearly shown with a close of curtain, key of being scenes played and not reality, showing all the characters involved.

   

YouTube Video