Todorov & Levi-Strauss in music videos
Taylor Swift - Bad Blood ft. Kendrick Lamar (2015) Todorov can be applied easily to the narrative, shown through the use of codes and conventions of an action/sci-fi movie, such as the opening establishing shot of a cityscape, the mise-en-scene of props like weaponry and the intertextual references to the ‘McGuffin’ briefcase. This sets the equilibrium of the music video to the duo Swift and Gomez on a spy mission. The disruption to the equilibrium occurs when Gomez kicks Swift from the window, betraying her comrade and possibly friend as they are the only two women in this ‘scene’. The narrative then builds to a restoration throughout the rest of the music video. It consists of Swift in multiple action genre settings, training and preparing to go up against Gomez, however the audience is prevented from viewing the outcome. For the most part, Bad Blood does fit into Todorov’s narrative theory although it does give an indication if there is a new equilibrium formed. This is typi...