PAPER 1 A Key text : Beyonce FORMATION MUSIC VIDEO

 Formation

Contexts: In the very beginning of the video we see police sirens and flashing lights is there to communicate the theme of police brutality and the difficulties that black people face particularly within America. This reflects the social, political and historical events and issues in America of racial discrimination, police brutality and the black lives matter movement.

Star Persona: In this video Beyoncé presents herself as a passionate and strong independent woman who challenges the typical female representatives of submissiveness. This is portrayed through her use of profanity which adds an aggressive yet passionate feel to her video. She’s not just representing herself but in a way representing the black community.

Representation: Examples from the video that might demonstrate historical discrimination is the use of reclaimed racial slurs (e.g the ‘n’ word). This could also be used as a desire to reclaim this previously repressed power. In the beginning of the video Beyoncé is seen on top of a police car in the water and in many other scenes like this the there are wide angle shots which make her seem more independent. Also, the low angles alongside her confident and more typically masculine body language make her seem more powerful and in control. This is something different as women are usually portrayed as submissive and weak whereas in this music video it’s the complete opposite, which challenges the stereotypes of women. Beyoncé sitting on top of the police car could be quite significant as it could reflect herself and the black community being dominant over them which contrasts to the context that black people often feel weaker in comparison to the police particularly in America. In a later scene, the use of tracking shots towards her face makes her the main focus of the scene and creates a sense of importance around her. Leading on from that, in another scene we see her in quite an expensive outfit, with hats and jewellery which connotes wealth and success which is very common for artists in many music videos. This also helps to subvert the typical representations of black people who are often seen in the media as being poorer or less successful.