In the music video Never Close Our Eyes, by Adam Lambert, the overall theme is the liberation of people who were imprison. The scenes in the music video with different motifs contribute to the video in different ways, and this paper is going to discuss some scenes and motifs applied in this music video and show how them work together to develop an attractive music video.

One of the important motifs in this video is people’s eyes. At the start of the video, photographer gives close-up shot of a person’s eye. This eye opens blankly and emptily, and immediately the scene transfers to the person’s horizon. Photographer gives some shots of the room she stayed and people’s situations quickly and provides audiences an overview of this room: frosty. The color scheme is achromatic, which is almost white, black and grey, the metallic room is orderly, and people are watched by camera. Connecting all these stuffs with the blank eye, audience can quickly observe the frosty atmosphere and understand the theme easier. Another scene with people’s eyes contribute to the main theme is at 1:51. It is a close-up shot of a women’s eye. The brightness in her eye is corroded by dark, the controller of this prison use machine to wash off their emotions and thoughts. People live like robots, and even do not know to rebel. Through this scene, audiences can feel the characters’ anger and helplessness, which lead to the rebellion at the end.

And the last scene I chose is at 1:00. The scene uses a close shot which show audiences enough details. The color scheme is still achromatic, which is also the overall scheme of the whole video. Five characters are in this scene, and the protagonist is totally different from others. His eye is emotional while others’ are colorless. This contrast is obvious, through the revolt and steadfastness in his eye, audience can fell his resolution to rebel. These three scenes are typical examples of the eyes in the music video, and there are more shots of people’s eyes in this video. Combine them together, audiences can feel the people’s powerlessness, the cruel of the controller, people’s anger of imprisoned, and the strong desire of freedom.

Besides the eye, the translation of people’s emotion is also a motif to help build this music video. The first scenes I chose is at 1:17. This scene use the full shot to give viewer an overview. This scene uses the cold tone, and the color schemes is achromatic too. All characters in this scene are glassy-eyed, they take capsules one by one and do not communicate with each other. They are actually feed by the people who control them.

The second scene I chose is at 2:46. This scene also uses the full shot to provide the whole environment and characters’ motions. The colors in this scene, also, almost black and grey, but the hue is more bright. This scene happens after protagonist awaked from the control and did not satisfied with their current situation. He awakened more people and they gradually realize their conditions. They decided get rid of the control and find the freedom, so in this scene, they are escaping. 

These two scenes actually contrast to each other. The first scene creates a frosty atmosphere. In my opinion, the sign of direction means the rule, everyone should follow it. And even there is no guard in this room, they were monitored by the camera. They were under the control of unknown people. They do not have emotion, they think, live and behave like robots. Combine the color applied in this scene, white and black make the atmosphere more serious. In general, indifferent expression, dirty clothes, strange food, terrible monitor, silent and cold room, all these stuffs in this scene give a feeling of despair to the viewers. 

In contrast, the second scene give a more positive feeling. Not restrain in the cold room, this scene took at outside and brought a feeling of freedom. Although the color scheme is achromatic too, the more open field of vision liberates viewers from depression. And while some people still mopping the floor, others are wake up, and have their emotion and expression. People are running away from the control, they escape and go to find the freedom. Showed viewers these people’s translation, this scene also represents the central theme: the liberation. 

And in the very end of the music video, a scene typically represents the main theme of this video (3:37). This scene applied a close shot, but because of the smoke in the foreground, characters’ bodies are unclear. But audiences can see their motions through the body contours. They are dancing! They finally escaped from and prison and defeated the controllers, they are free now, only dance can express their excitement. Different from the two scenes discussed above, the colors applied are green and blue, combining with the smoke, this scene creates a blurred and orgiastic feeling which can integrally express people’s excitement. These three scenes showed people’s translations from apathetic to nervous, and finally became excited, and the translations interpret the liberation very well.

In conclusion, this music video used a lot of details to help the expression of main theme. Characters’ eyes and their motions’ translations are representative examples of these details. Because of the sense of oppression, the liberation become more precious; and because of the desire of freedom, the mechanical life become more terrible. Through the comparison and translations, these scenes state the theme of this music video clearly and make viewers feel the emotion of these characters very well. 
