Discuss narrative devices and the structure in Radiohead’s “Just"

Radiohead 'Just' from Tony Kearns on Vimeo.

The music video for ‘Just’ by Radiohead uses a linear narrative which can be examined using Todorov’s concept for narrative. It uses a linear 3 act structure, act 1 the equilibrium is where the main character takes a bath then sets off for his walk, and we are introduced to the bands performance. This is followed by a disruption and an enigma code, when the character lays on the pavement in the street and people start crowding round him wanting to find out why, this is the disequilibrium. Act three the new equilibrium comes into play as the rest of the characters join the main character on the floor. This is a subtle resolution to the problem as it is not a clear resolution, yet all the characters become calm in comparison to the previous act meaning that the problem is solved for the characters but not the audience. This conventional linear narrative and anticipation by using an enigma code provides a way of understanding the narrative structure of the video, because it drives the storyline, encouraging the audience to want to see the ending. I would argue that the ambiguous ending challenges ideological closure, we don’t find out what the main character said and why they are all laying on the pavement. Therefore the closure is disrupted and the artists are establishing their brand as mysterious and arty for their audience, and rebelling against the norm, differentiating themselves from other similar artists and constructing the bands motif.   

However outside of this linear narrative, there are indications of a parallel/interweaving narrative of the performance side versus the narrative story. A framing device that is a window connects these because the performers occasionally look out of this and watch the man on the pavement, interweaving the performance and narrative story together, even though they don’t actually interact with each other.

Devices used like the enigma code previously mentioned capture the audience’s attention because they want to see why the man is on the floor, a conclusion to this action code. This acts as a catalyst and gets perpetuated when the ideological closure is disrupted by everyone else joining the main character on the floor and the camera pans out so we can fully see, followed by the ending of the video. This proairetic code makes the audience want to see the ending but we don’t get any closure, the audience are also unable to prefigure what would happen next because of the little context given about the situation. As I have previously mentioned this creates a mysterious and arty brand for the artists. Additionally another narrative device used is that it’s in real time and that it’s in chronological order, this adds to the anticipation that the enigma code uses because the audience feel like something important could and should happen at any time, however much to the audiences’ disappointment we don’t have any closure.

The framing device of a window separates the performers and the characters, alongside the fact that the performers are several floors up on a building looking out of this window. Creating a slight conflict/binary opposition between the artists and the characters. When people start crowding round the man on the floor we see that the band have stopped performing and are all looking out the window, which evokes the notion of looking for the audience.  Reinforcing the bands motif I previously talked about because the audience are encouraged to look down at the characters. These characters are all dressed in business suits, have respect for the law/hierarchy because of their polite interactions with the police officer, and the location is a modern urban area. So characters could act as symbolic codes for capitalist western ideologies. So to reinforce the artist’s rebellion, the audience are positioned with them to look at the characters on floor and think of how silly and stupid they are behaving, while they are juxtaposed in a grungy looking room, and their costumes are more casual and less luxurious. Therefore this framing device could be used to present to the audience the artists ideologies and despise for capitalist western cultures, and get the audience to also feel this.