- Caz wrote:
- Seriously though, what is it that you like so much about this video?
Everything, really. So much so that I probably could go on for pages. I'll try to just touch on some of the main points.
You correctly observe that Amy looks like she is "in pain." Yes, this the point. Pain is a part of life, and the very convincing way in which Amy expresses and deals with her pain is something that I connect with on a number of levels.
The way she sings the lines, "Never wanted it to be so cold / just didn't drink enough to say you love me." These are powerful lines in which Amy is expressing her most intimate thoughts as if she were speaking to the guy directly. The implication here is that she would rather have the guy say to her, "I love you" because of the way it would make her feel... even though she knows deep down that he would not mean it. Of course, the fact that he won't even say it makes it all the more painful.
Thus, we see Amy lying on the bed, thrashing around as if in physical pain, though we know her pain is emotional. The way she moves on the bed suggests that she is thinking of the night before and reliving it in her mind even though it clearly brings her pain to do so. The fact that the joy of reliving it outweighs the pain of knowing that the guy does not really love her is quite touching, especially coming from Amy. That is to say, Amy always projects so much outward strength that it is very moving to see this strength belied by the vulnerability depicted in this video. Of course, she is alone and would never let anyone else see her like this except us, which only adds to the connection we feel with her and her overall level of intimacy with the viewer in this video.
Some will note that there are underlying themes of drug addiction in this song, and I certainly do agree with that. Point is, in this song Amy is drawing parallels to the way she feels about this guy as if he were a drug - she know's he's bad for her and will bring her much pain, but she does not care because of the temporary high she gets and the way he makes her feel. And, to me at least, this video portrays these aspects in a powerful and moving way.
Then there is the imagery. The snow, of course, represents the coldness of the guy on an emotional level. Just as with the guy, Amy seems to enjoy the snow despite its coldness. The snow perhaps also represents a purity within Amy - an innocence or goodness that only makes her pain all the more touching. The dead spider and statue appear just as Amy's lyrics suggest that this relationship, though dysfunctional, seems to have awakened something inside of her... perhaps dead emotions of love that had lain dormant since the end of a previous relationship, we simply do not know.
Even more powerful is the imagery of the water and the way that Amy interacts with it. Water, of course, has always represented life just as it does here. We see Amy very tentative at first as she dips her toes into the water. Then she gradually gives in to her feelings and goes deeper and deeper as she allows herself to fall for this guy, even though she knows that she shouldn't. Though going deeper into the water initially represents how being in love makes Amy feel more alive (remember, water represents life), we see that the eventual outcome is drowning - a form of death that serves to underscore the contradictions and irony that entwine most aspects of human emotion.
As I said before, I could go on and on, but this basically covers the main themes. Though the comparison of love to a drug is nothing new, this video does it better than anything I've seen before.
Of course, as always, I do NOT expect anyone to agree with me on any of this. I freely admit that I see things differently than do most people. Also, I'll be the first to admit that I have at times seen and heard things that may not have been there. But, Caz, you specifically asked me, "What is it that you like so much about this video?" So, all I can do is speak from my own perspective and tell you what I like about it. Music to me is something very personal, so I certainly would never claim that you or anyone else should like it as well.
Home 
I love the snow, her dress, her make-up is awesome, I love when she is in the water and this image...
