3rd Music Video Analysis "Hero" by Enrique Iglesias (2001)

Directed by Joseph Kahn.

Two young Male and Female characters, speeding through the desert highway with a bag full of cash in the back seat would suggest that they are on the run and obviously madly in love judging by their facial expressions, body language and the lyrics. The mise-en-scene used in this video is really interesting because it tries to appear modern with actions and settings that make the small reference to a classic, trditional love story seen on screen for example: The hollow stone house where they hold each other and he sings the chorus for the first time does not really make much sense narrativewise but does make the music video more romantic and heartwarming to watch. When the music video cuts back to him always putting his arms around her on the bed would suggest how the can cut out the rest of the world from them when they are together regardless of the cash and being on the run. The costumes seem like pretty basic clothes to last them while they are on the run from the gangsters, they are quite revealing at some stages to establish the traditional amount of sex appeal that a music video tends to have. The car is that typical american model that always tends to be used in a getaway or in the middle of nowhere where they are. An interesting use of cinematography would be that how on some shots when it zooms in there appears to be a circular frame around the outside of the lens. The camera stays in the low-corner angle when there is a quick shot of them driving into the sunset.

There is a big relationship between the lyrics and the video because the song is called "Let Me be Your Hero" and that is what he is doing in the music video other than also playing her love interest. The genre characteristic would be of a romance which it clearly is as it may still involve the hint of danger and guns but it still does not introduce another genre to the music video. The music is very soft and gentle throughout the music video even when he gets caught, the tone does become alot stronger but the melody remains the same near the end when he dies. Intertextuality plotwise would be that this music video relates alot to the Bonnie and Clyde storyline. Having Jennifer Love Hewitt and Mickey Rourke in this music video would hype up its image and make it more performance based. The narrative involves an ex-criminal running away with his girlfriend with alot of cash while men in suits (probably from the gang he deserted) track them and follow them, while on the run it would appear that they both rely on their love rather than being rich so they burn the money and get married. After the wedding they are confronted by Rourke who wounds Iglesias in front of Hewitt. Police arrive and Rourke and his men are arrested off-screen while Iglesias dies slowly in Hewitts arms. The intended audience would probably most likely be young women who love boy bands/singers and purchase alot of posters and music of theirs.

Enrique Iglesias cannot help but be represented as every girls fantasy in this music video, he is represented as the hero with the dark past which makes him a good protector for Jennifer Love Hewitt. The calm music and lyrics makes the music video more dreamy and romantic which brings out his softer side to audiences making it hard to dislike him at all. The music video runs on a linear timeline which has a narrative of the traditional young couple going on the run which is an interesting romance story to use. Camera shots consist of alot of two-shots to emphasise the powerful love that the two characters have for one another, low angle shots are used on Mickey Rourke during the confrontation scene to emphasise his dominance and the danger to them that he is. In comparison to Iglesias and Hewitt who are shot in low angles during the scene however they were never shot in high angles to begin with. The sound to go with the lyrics is very soothing which goes perfectly well with narrative, guitar crossed with piano performance that remains at a calm tone throught the music video until it becomes stronger than the lyrics near the end due to the unhappy ending; death of Iglesias. Costumes in the music video are casual clothes, Mickey Rourke wears the traditional suit in order to acheive the traditional gangster look.