WOODKID - IRON
- Directed by Yoann Lemoine -
The music video for Iron specifically struck me for its impactful, striking cinematography and storytelling driven by the poetic lyrics in the song. I have always appreciated a poetic interpretation of lyrics rather than a literal one. Therefore, cracking the code to this video was a fun and eye-opening adventure during which I discovered a great amount about working with abstract, intangible concepts and interpreting them visually.
Throughout Iron, Lemoine symbolically employs the visual narrative to depict the loss of innocence through the ingrained lust for violence and power. Woodkid’s lyrics for Iron begin with “deep in the ocean, dead and cast away, where innocence is burned in flames,” which is complemented by the slow-motion image of the lighting of fire and the portraiture of the characters, which are to narrate the story. The characters are primal, historical and ancient, orchestrating the use of black and white cinematography to represent their past - a Mongolian warrior straddling a horse, a Native American accompanied by salivating wild dogs, a Viking with a robust horned helmet on his head, an African man playing drums wildly, a woman with an owl and the tattooed back of a man.
To me, these multicultural characters represent historical events of war and violence, which are awakened with the beginning of the song as they themselves come to life. I admire the choices of characters Lemoine made for the video. These people appear calm, yet, a strong, aggressive fire is lit inside them as the lighting of fire is visually portrayed and a storm within the skies begins to brew. This innate power and individuality is what makes them particularly appealing to me. I strive to be these strong people, with their energy and passion burning inside them.
The use of slow motion accompanies the dynamics of the storytelling. We see a slow, yet dynamic awakening of the characters and their loss of innocence with the “burning of the flame” proceeds. As Woodkid’s song continues with, ”I’m ready for the fight and fate, the sound of iron shocks is stuck in my head”, the storm awakens in the ominous, flashing clouds. Likewise, it appears to be bred in the hearts of the characters. Innocence is lost as the characters stride into attack with an aggressive cry.
The loss of innocence is symbolized by the image of a deceased child, lying on what appears to be a tombstone. A priest vigorously reads a religious book with Woodkid’s symbol on it - two crossed keys. These keys are illustrated on a black, pirate-resembling flag, which initiates the first frame and recurs when the tattooed man carries it as the characters sprint into attack. Upon observing these images, questions were raised in my mind – is the priest preaching innocence or is he repenting for the sins of the attackers? Are the attackers fighting for innocence while simultaneously losing it themselves through warfare?
It appears Lemoine is forming a paradox– innocence fought for by violence; a good cause achieved by evil doing. Upon observing Woodkid’s conflicted lyrics, I discovered that they go hand-in-hand with the images on screen: “I will have to run away, I want to feel the pain and the bitter taste of blood on my lips again.” Upon pondering on the meaning of these words, to me, this is a clear illustration that Woodkid simultaneously wants to run away from and has an appetite for violence. Finally, the characters in the video attack, a lantern with a flame shatters, the fire spreads and lights the religious book on fire, Woodkid’s symbolic keys are depicted flying in slow motion. When observing this video symbolically, we can conclude that innocence is burned and violence spreads with the fire. Tragically, black ashes fall from the sky as the flame destroys everything surrounding it.
