Textual Analysis of 'David Bowie - Ashes To Ashes'

"Ashes to Ashes" is a single by David Bowie, released in 1980. The musci vidio was released around the same time, it was directed by Bowie and David Mallet

Cinematography

The clip starts off with a close up on Bowie’s face he is sing the song. Then it zooms out to a mid shot to where another small screen pops up and starts playing. On the beach seems the is a red filter and the sky is back. A couple of close up and mid shot latter another small screen pops up. It takes us in side where there is a long shot of a man setting on a chair in a room. Then it goes back to the beach then fads into a close up of Bowie singing. Then into a long shot of 5 people walking in front of a bulldozer, then back to the red filter beach where a photographer is taking a picture of him, it zooms in of his witch look hurt. Back inside Bowie is huddle in a corner and it look like he is cold. The it cut to him in a chair in what looks like kitchen where someone in the background in doing the washing up. In the room thing start blowing up but no one riles. When Bowie is titled to the spaceship there is a blue colour wash and it slowly zoom in on him. There is a low shot of Bowie walk along with blue sky and someone coming in and out of shoot.It goes back to the beach where Bowie is realising a bird into the sky, the back sea is hitting the rocks. There is a Dutch tilt of 4 people on the beach with a red wash and back sky. Close up of Bowie setting in his chair. At the end there is a seceen where Bowie and a granny and walking down a beach. Then it goes back to the spaceship.

Editing & Mise-en-scene

At the beginning of the clip Bowie is wear a clown costume, he wears this for most of the song.There are some fades of Bowie come in and out of scenes. In side Bowie is ware quite plan clothes and there is another plain fade. Next the is a shot with 4 people and 3 of then look like nuns and the last is fairy.  When he is in the kitchen the is a woman and she looks like a made. When Bowie is titled to the Spaceship he is really Wight, Wight cloths, face and hair. All the way through the song there are fades and state cuts.

 

Sound

The sound in the clip is the song ‘Ashes to Ashes’