Unfinished Sympathy - Massive Attack Music Video Analysis

Unfinished Sympathy Music Video Summary:

• The Video begins with a shot of some metal spheres being clanged together, with the shot zooming out and upwards to reveal a gang wearing sunglasses, including the dog for some comedic relief. The shot then pans back down to show a child with a toy gun shooting the camera, and then speeds forward to meet the lead singer. The video then follows the lead singer through a street, following her journey through a socially deprived area in Los-Angeles as she sings about her love. In the background, a variety of people and actions happen while the artist walks past.

Who are Massive Attack:

• Massive Attack are a Hip hop/electronic group from Bristol which emerged from the unique music and graffiti scene there of the late 80s/early 90s​.
• Their first album ‘Blue Lines’ (1991) and third ‘Mezzanine’ (1998) regularly feature in ‘Best albums of all time’ lists ​
• ‘Unfinished Sympathy’ was their first ever single on a major label​
• Founding members Robert ‘3D’ Del Naja, Grant ‘Daddy

Defiance of Genre Conventions / Representation:

• It is significant that the lead singer is a black woman, in terms of representation, the fact that a black woman has been given the space to articulate her feelings about her personal life is quite rare in an industry which places body image over the mind (especially in 1990 in relation to black artists). It defies the general Music Video Genre convention that the video should be 'Visually Appealing', by having no editing or cuts, as well as having the main artist walk down a deprived street in plain clothes. 

Media Language

• Single take music video using a Steadicam. The camera uses aerial shots at the beginning almost positioning the community from a helicopter’s point of view perhaps implying that this is how communities such as this are often viewed. However, the camera tilts and pans down and begins to track the singer and the focuses on her story. The implication here is that areas such as the inner-city area depicted contain hundreds of interesting personal stories and any one of them could be selected. The camera continues to track the artist until the end where it stops and she walks away into the distance. Perhaps symbolic of her moving on in her life. ​
• The shot towards the start of the music video of the child playing with the toy gun could be a reference to American gun violence, suggesting that children in impoverished areas are likely more susceptible to gang violence.