 
The song Don’t Let Me Down, released in 1981, expresses the emotional intensity of John Lennon’s love for Yoko Ono. Using the technique of vocal desperation combined with literal screaming and begging, the lyrics tell the story of his love. These emotions are yet again exploited by the sublime use of the cameras shots and angles, as well as the various locations used to juxtapose certain emotions and scenes.  John Lennon was successfully able to convey his love for Yoko Ono in not only the song, but in reality, as well. The Beatles leverage lyrical desperation, gloomy visuals, drab color schemes, and auditory means to transport the audience into an emotional state of desperate love. 

The first, and possibly most the powerful visual motif is at the 1:40 mark. The shot is an extreme close up on the drummer Ringo Star. What makes the shot unique is instead of a conventional extreme close up where you can only see the face in the picture, there is also a symbol in the frame.  In the shot, part of the cold inanimate bronze is placed in stark contrast of the human condition showing the coldness and harshness that comes with emptiness, which is reflected in Ringo’s frayed empty focus.  The visual motif of Ringo Star’s intense emotions is expressed in the form of his sunken eyes and disturbed facial expression that pleads, “don’t let me down”.  Ringo’s eyes have a look of isolation and a yearning for love.  The expression is one that cannot be missed, as the look can’t be replicated without true meaning. Don’t Let Me Down encompasses that love you see across Ringo’s face, and even contains literal screaming, or begging, for the preservation of true love.  His facial expression shows passion, downheartedness, and despair.  The shot ends, leaving the viewer with the vision of Ringo hopelessly looking into the distance.  Ringo in this shot expresses the same emotional intensity with his facial expressions that John Lennon was voicing in his lyrics

The next shot is at 3:00.  This long shot is taken from a greater distance and, includes three of the four band members.  Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and George Harrison all are signing Don’t Let Me Down on the dull rooftop of an industrial, monotone building.   The gloomy atmosphere is combined with the melancholy emotionless bystanders milling around with a complete lack of empathy for the Beatles as they pour out their emotions.  Together the three band members all are showing the same heartfelt love as they follow John Lennon’s lead. The mood and color scheme of the shot is melancholic because of a dark, cloudy sky as a backdrop.  Each band member is dressed casually with no uniformity in their attire, making the entire production seem spontaneous and true.  The impromptu set up on the roof makes for an unusual look for the shot and enhances the realism of the story.  The emotions are clearly a major motif in this shot.  The viewer can see the distinct facial expressions that include a passion for love and a longing for someone special.

The emotions expressed in the video and shots are visual representations that come to life from the vocal lyrics, which are correlated throughout the video.  In the shot at 1:40, one can see the pain in Ringo’s face that John Lennon was sharing with the band through his touching lyrics.  Before the shot, the tempo changes and John Lennon begins to sing about the love they shared.  At that point, the band is all smiling with delight because John is reminiscing on the love him and Yoko Ono share.  At 1:40 though, the tempo and lyrics revert back to John and the band pleading “don’t let me down”.  The mood changes throughout the song; from the band members pleading together for Yoko Ono not to let John Lennon down and back to a swift joyful recollection of the love that John Lennon and Yoko shared.  The members are all playing freely and letting loose with their emotions and expressing themselves with their instruments.  This is how the video ends with all the members letting go and showing how they feel without lyrics.  The overall setting of the video is a dark and sad with the overcast of clouds and no sun.  There is a distinct contrast with how the band members are dressed and everything else depicted in the video.  The Beatles are all are dressed with lively clothes against the dark background.  The color schemes of their attire are in opposition of the rest of the scene, just like the two different melodies and tempos oppose each other throughout the song.

In conclusion, the two shots as mentioned above display the motif of desire for true love.  John Lennon wrote the lyrics and intended for it to be a love song for Yoko Ono.  Struggling with their relationship, John Lennon expressed his emotions in the video.  Ironically the subject of the video, Yoko Ono, is not seen or mentioned directly in the video or lyrics.  Her absence contributes to the visual and lyrical loneliness.  Her absence makes the viewer wonder will she, or has she already “let him down”.  The band showed all the same emotions that John Lennon was expressing proving their musical and emotional synchronicity.  The variety of shots in the video includes long shots, extreme close ups, and bugs eye view to give the audience a glimpse of separate individuals expressing the same set of emotions contrasted by the emotionless bystanders.  The unconventional style of filming unexpectedly shows other cameras filming the band members add to the impromptu aspect of the video.   The final shots of the video are surprising because camera’s view transitions from extreme close ups to an establishing shot in the same frame.  The shot ends with the whole band showing the same pain and desire as depicted by Ringo.  The color scheme framed in a dark and cloudy city is acceptable but foreboding because it just so happened that this was the last time The Beatles ever played together as a band in front of an audience.
 