Intertextuality in Formation

• Intertextual reference to Alejandro Jodorowsky’s surrealist film ‘The Holy Mountain’ (1973). This shot mirrors an image in The Holy Mountain featuring a similiarly dressed entity named the Alchemist.The Alchemist is the symbol of truth and spiritual freedom; a socially conscious ‘liberator’ who rejects authoritarianism. She is drawing comparisons between herself and the Alchemist, with police authorities positioned as the target of her gestures. And frequent images related to police brutality throughout the video, coinciding with the climatic message exclaiming “stop shooting us”.
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  Analysing Formation

Key Representations in Formation-

• Gender– Beyoncé’s body and the way in which it relates to her star persona and her African American identity is a key element of her music videos. Binary opposites are used in regard to the representations of gender throughout her video.
  She is represented as a strong empowered woman whilst being sexually objectified through codes of clothing, narrative situations and provocative dance moves. At times she challenges stereotypical representations of women.
• Ethnicity– Beyoncé has previously seen controversy for whitewashing in order to appeal to a white audience.
  However, in her music videos she embraces her culture through iconography and clothing related to her cultural heritage. Formation includes iconography of the antebellum dress worn by white women in South America at the time of the slave trade era. It reflects a historical perspective and treatment of black people in America.
• Issues– In Formation she references to the floods of New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina. It suggests racial tensions following the disaster. She also makes political statements about the treatment of black Americans and references to the ‘Black Lives Matter’ campaign including a shot of a child dancing in front of riot police.

How has representations been constructed?

• Intertextual references- such as footage taken from a documentary about bounce called That B.E.A.T with news footage of police brutality, such as the lone dancing boy
• Use of costume- Antebellum dresses reference slavery era and contrast heavily with stereotypical pop culture music videos with revealing clothing.
• Beyoncé’s difference between obscene gestures with the hand to moments of aggression to show frustration and anger with culturally recognisable dance routines.

How do the representations relate to the lyrics and genre of music?

• Beyoncé makes direct address to the audience by gazing directly at us, she stands strong and powerful at the front of groups and images of her top of a sinking police car.
• Number of different genres such as pop and R&B are referenced throughout. These genres are subject to change and all combine the genre being explored at the time of the music video- Bounce.
• She uses references to black history in order to symbolise black power and historical changes this has made.
• Beyoncé is adopting feminism as a lifestyle choice to sell music, however Beyoncé has attended Black Lives Matter campaigns and openly supported it, suggesting that this belief goes beyond her persona.
• The dance sections where she wears short/tight/revealing clothing and outfits as well as some sexualised lyrics. This may be referencing her construction as a strong and powerful figure.

Is the music video reflecting a historical, social or cultural context?

The music video references various different historical events such as the civil rights movement, Black Lives Matter and Slavery in America. References to slavery can be seen through the use of period clothing that is what was worn by white women at that time. Symbolism with binary opposition which challenges a racial hierarchy which is still around to this day.

The scene with the boy dancing in front of riot police suggest rebellion against police brutality and therefore the end of inequality with the rise of powerful black female artists.

David Gauntlett’s theory of identity-

It suggests that media texts provides us with ‘tools’ to help construct our own identity and offer role models.

Gender is seen as representations of gender with Beyoncé is portrayed as a powerful figure in order to set an example for younger audiences and especially black women who are most oppressed.

Stuart Hall’s theory of Representation

The stereotypes which are prevalent in Formation are constructed through the representation of age, gender and ethnicity. The representation of age is constructed through the use of the boy dancing in front of a row of riot police. This is interlinked with the representation of race, in reference to police brutality. Women are empowered throughout the video by Beyoncé dancing as well as Blue Ivy, representing women as independent. However, Beyoncé is also sexualised through revealing clothing etc.