'All is Full of Love'

Essay # 103464

Art
Communication
Film > Analysis, Criticism, Etc.

This paper discusses the music video 'All is Full of Love' by Chris Cunningham.

891 words () | 0 sources | MLA | 2008 United States

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer notes that modernist art is characterized by its resistance to the metaphoric; its insistence on chains of association rather than strict metaphors prevents the audience from drawing a clear and precise meaning from the work. The writer points out that Chris Cunningham's "All is Full of Love" video operates on this ambiguous level. A quick run-through of the video seems to offer two paths of interpretation, one of hope and one of pessimism. But one must take both paths and examine the relationship of their ends. The writer maintains that in this way, the video is neither a celebration nor condemnation of modern love, but rather an exploration of what modern love means.

From the Paper:

" The video begins with a tangled mass of wires seen only in flashes. Ascending the wires, the camera stops on an industrial, construction plane outlined in bright black and white. As the music starts, the two machines opposing the lying android move forward like record needles. When the needles finally make contact with the android, it opens its eyes and begins to sing. It's important to note that the beat used in the video is not the original mix from the album, but more mechanical, industrial and driving to match the visuals. Not only is the music industrial, but the video seems to have been directed by a machine. Moving with technical precision, merely observing and not speculating, the entire video presents a mechanical gaze. It's a video for, by, and about electronic beings."