
Formation, by Beyonce, is a controversial music video for multiple reasons. Besides being set in New Orleans post Hurricane Katrina, this music video also has a clear emphasis on the themes of Black Lives Matter and police brutality. In this music video, the scene is constantly changing; there are shots of Beyonce dressed in all black standing on what seems to be the front steps of a plantation home, Beyonce dressed in all white traditional style clothing, Blue Ivy dressed in white with all natural hair, Beyonce dancing in a drained pool, and Beyonce on the street dancing with a group of girls with her. Although all of these shots have a purpose, I think that the shot of Beyonce on top of the New Orleans Police car is the most important. 

The music video opens with a wide shot of Beyonce sitting on top of a New Orleans Police car that is sinking. The police car is not just sinking in any water but it is clearly the flood waters that were left in New Orleans post Hurricane Katrina. In the background there is a neighborhood of homes that are all flooded and ruined from the hurricane. Beyonce is sitting on top of this sinking car. She is wearing an older style dress that is red which contrasts the colors of the background which are all neutral and faded. The dress is more traditional southern style than modern. 

There is no ignoring the significance of this shot. Not only is it what opens the music video, it recurs constantly throughout the entirety of the music video. This music video could be hard to understand with the complexity of scenes and constant changing between different shots with different backgrounds. However, this one simple shot of Beyonce on top of the Police car as it is sinking helps draw the focus back towards a single message. This shot of Beyonce on top of a police car amongst the flooded streets of New Orleans suggests that the police were not able to do as much as they should have after Hurricane Katrina. This particular shot is very plain but contains that very clear message.

The first time this shot is shown there is a voice in the background that proposes the question “What happened at the New Orleans?” This is the voice of Messy Mya. Messy Mya is a controversial social media icon from New Orleans who was also shot and killed in the streets there. The question itself is controversial in its forwardness of bringing up the issues surrounding New Orleans. This question also confirms that there is significance in the music video being set in New Orleans post Hurricane Katrina and that it is not solely a back drop. This shot is very clearly flooded New Orleans and helps to bring all other scenes together.

Not only is there a message of how the police handled New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina but there is also a message of Black Lives Matter and how they handle things in general. The scene of Beyonce, along with several men, wearing all black is very powerful. In this shot they are standing in front of an old plantation, the all black clothing shows a more empowered type of people. Beyonce is also adorned with a lot of large jewelry which shows power. This shot is meant to suggest black empowerment. Beyonce is suggesting that despite what has happened in the past it no longer matters now since we are in such a different culture. This theme also relates back to the shot of Beyonce on the police car through that message. Beyonce standing on top of the police car can also be representative that despite what the police are doing the people of New Orleans are empowered through each other with or without the help of the police.

Another shot in this video that suggests empowerment against police brutality is the shot of the little boy dancing. There is a shot shown of a young African American boy standing in front of a line of all white police officers. The young boy is wearing all black, including a sweatshirt with his hood up, over his head. The young boy is dancing in front of the police line and stops to put his hands up, looking as if he is surrendering. However, the police then follow and put their hands up in response to this young boy. This is representative of peace between the people and the police. After this, the shot switches to a wall that has “stop shooting us” written in graffiti on it. This further confirms the goal of peace that Beyonce is portraying through this scene.

One of the last shots of this music video is another of Beyonce on top of this sinking police car. This one, however, is slightly different than the others. Beyonce is now laying on the top of the New Orleans Police car that is completely submerged in water. She is also sinking beneath the surface of the water. At first glance one would think that Beyonce is being drowned by the police car. Beyonce is actually the one who is sinking the police car herself. Throughout the whole music video there are symbols of ending police brutality such as the boy with the police, this is the final image. Beyonce herself finally sinking the New Orleans Police car to represent an end to police brutality.

The shot of the police car is a very necessary shot to this music video. It allows for the multiple representations of empowerment and anti police brutality shots to all be brought together. With the camera constantly switching between such varying scenes in this music video, one might find it hard to find the central message. Through the image of Beyonce sinking a New Orleans police car, amongst flooded streets, appearing throughout the music video from start to finish it helps keep focus on the main idea that not only was New Orleans post Katrina a problem, but so is police brutality and everyone needs to stay empowered and together. 