Unfinished Sympathy - Massive Attack

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Research

  • The song was released as the second single from the band's debut album Blue Lines, on the band's Wild Bunch label distributed through Circa Records on 11 February 1991.
  •  Blue Lines is the 37th best-received album of all time, and third best-received of the 1990s. (seminal album) It was and still is a very respected album.
  • The lead vocals are sung by Shara Nelson
  • The music video was filmed in a single continuous shot from 1311 South New Hampshire Avenue to 2632 West Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles, California.
  • The genre of this sing is Trip Hop
  • Massive Attack
    • English musical group formed in 1988 in Bristol
    • They have released five studio albums that have sold over 13 million copies worldwide.
    • Some of the people in the background of the music video were actual people who couldn't be bothered to move.
    • DJs Daddy G and Andrew Vowles and graffiti artist-turned-rapper Robert Del Naja met as members of partying collective The Wild Bunch.
    • In the 1990s, the trio became known for working increasingly separately.
  • The music video for 'Bitter Sweet Symphony' (The Verve) is a homage to the single continuous shot docu-fiction music video for Massive Attack's "Unfinished Sympathy"
Media Language
Camera
  • One continuous shot - the audience are onlookers on something real and natural
  • Eye Level/ Mid Shot - intimate and allows the audience to see the people and life around her
  • Panning Shot at the beginning (a canted/ skewed angle) - visual of the people who live there
  • Begins with an eye-line shot that travels through the streets
  • Finishes with the eye-line shot as Nelson continues walking in front
  • Pans around Neslon at times in order to showcase what is going on around her
Editing 
  • Very limited editing as it is only one shot - raw, intimate and minimalistic appearance
  • Absence of editing - Appears effortless 
  • The background often blurs - focus drawn to artist
Mise-en-scene
  • Los Angeles - a sense of  'otherness'
  • 'Slightly run-down parts of town'
  • 'Wide open streets'
  • Winter afternoon - lighting was dim and site sensitive
  • 'puffy', loose fitting and simplistic costume worn by Nelson that contrasts the cinematic feel of the video - black and plain that allows her to stand out 
  • Her hairstyle stood out as it was very put together
  • Diversity - wide range of people in the background (some who actually lived there)
  • Casual/ street clothing worn by background people in order to reflect a realistic impression 

How does the song interact with the video?
  • The live string music paired with Nelson's emotional performance successfully creates a sombre and melancholy mood that connects to the lyrics of the song.
Do the lyrics match the video?
  • There is a slight contrast between the grand, orchestral music and the stripped-back setting of the street life. 
  • She is singing about the pain of a lacking relationship and this raw emotion links to the deprived street life that is depicted in the video.
Camera angles
  • High angle panning shot of the street gang.
    • violence
    • diversity
    • dangerous aspects of LA that are rarely seen in the media
  • Track shot (mid shot)
    • one continuous shot that, for the most part, remains in front of Nelson
    • allows us to focus on her emotional performance as she conveys the meaning of the lyrics
    • creates an intimate connection between the audience and Nelson
  • Final panning at the end
    • the camera pans away from Nelson as she continues to walk through the streets
    • links to the lyrics - drifting apart from one another
    • draws final attention to the streets rather than her - not just about her but about whats around her too 
  • slight high-angle of child
    • a child with a toy gun
    • connotes violence and defiance as well as the deprived nature of the setting
Editing
  • Lack of editing
    • minimalistic, effortless
    • raw, intimate
    • one continuous shot - makes it more naturalistic and connotes realism
  • Background Blur
    • brings attention back to Nelson 
    • focus is on her emotional performance
  • Slight de-saturation
    • sombre mood/tone
Mise-en-scene
  • Nelson's costume
    • all black
    • sightly formal - contrasts the causal street clothing of those around her thus allowing her to stand out.
  • LA setting
    • deprived, stripped-down streets 
    • links to the raw mood of the song/lyrics
    • contrasts to the orchestral, grand strings in the music
  • Diversity
    • the use of non-actors emphasises the realism
    • there is a large depiction of different ethnicity 

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