How are narrative techniques used in Biffy Clyro's video for 'Opposite'

From their 6th studio album 'Opposites', one of three singles 'Opposite' reached the top 50 in the UK charts in july 2013. The Guardian stated about the album : 'if you're going to have stadium rock, it might as well be as thought-provoking and chewy as this'. The Scottish rock band lead by Simon Neil were met with mostly positive reviews and praised for their experimental and daring choices following the release of the album.'the genius of Biffy Clyro has always been to straddle the line between experimental and anthemic' 'They’ve released a chunk of bombast that goes far beyond the recommended daily allowance. But for the sheer audacity of it all – and for mostly pulling it off – they need saluting' - NME. The video directed by Elliott Sellers no doubt drew inspiration from Coldplay's 'The Scientist' directed by James Thraves, with it's incredibly similar reverse narrative, Ultimately revolving around a tragic car accident.

'Baby I'm leaving here'

This Reversal of narrative direction is the key theme of the video, with the narrative pivoting around the events of the crash, which we initially see at 0.06, thus informing the audience of it's importance and key role in the structure of the narrative. Furthermore this information is given out in quick fragmented cuts, stressing the ellipsis created by the dual narrative: one where we see lead man Simon Neil travelling on foot through an urban location, and the aforementioned car crash in reverse.

Applying one of Goodwin's theories to the latter narrative, we can see the 'succinct relationship between music and visuals' through the emphasis, or 'amplifying' effect created by the timing chosen for the car crash to take place. at the point of impact at 3.04 we hear the lyrics of the chorus 'Baby I'm leaving here, you need to be with somebody else'. Not only does this raise themes previously absent within the context of the song, such as death and morality, but it also 'amplifies' the impact of the events in the narrative, the car crash becoming more tragic for the audience as they learn new information surrounding the impact and ramifications of the climax.

The other narrative, seemingly entirely separate from the car crash, sees Simon Neil travelling through an urban location, accompanied by enigmatic visuals depicting the change in gravity felt by the flipping car, further emphasised by the rolling shots at 1.30 and 2.06 creating an enigma for the audience who can only attempt to interpret the events as perhaps Neil's character being in a state of purgatory following the crash, further supported by the cyclical nature of the video, and that it begins and ends with imagery from the crash. This 'enigmatic/hermeneutic code' is first established by the opening shot, which when subjected to Barthes' theory of audience questioning can tell us that the imagery of the backwards pocket watch instantly implants an enigma that leads to the audience asking questions like is the video in reverse?, is time a significant theme? and how significant is the imagery of the seemingly self animated pocket watch? Furthermore this questioning leads to an audience satisfaction when the climax is slowly revealed and the outcomes and metaphors previously predicted by the inference of watchers become the reality of the narrative.

Todorov's theory of narrative structure is challenged here, as we see no clear state of equilibrium within the opening of the video, and are in fact presented with what could be considered the 'disruption' from the offset , this creates an atmosphere within which we have to question if there is a true normality or 'equilibrium' as the events depicted within the secondary narrative are similarly being 'disrupted' through the reoccurring surreal imagery. In this way perhaps the video aims to be not a conventional narrative presenting a clear equilibrium and new equilibrium through the opening and climax, but instead a continuous demonstration and illustration of 'disruption'.

Biffy Clyro have similarly used a dual narrative in their video for 'Victory over the Sun' directed by Jim Canty in order to engage with their audience through a construction of enigma, and utilise a similar technique when building towards climaxes which could be perceived as surprising or powerful but also metaphorical and conceptual. Fans of Biffy Clyro will strive to uncode the message behind each of their videos, leading to an increased attention and focus on detail within their narratives. The often taboo, dark and melancholic themes of their narratives such as the cult leader (also Simon Neil) featured in 'Victory over the Sun' also maintain an audience interest, as the unconventional nature of the band and its videos lead to an ever evolving and unpredictable series of videos which, above all acts as a brand and identity reinforcing the marketing and image of 'Biffy Clyro' ultimately to sell more of their music, and in accordance with Goodwin proves that the record label had 'certain demands' when it came to 'selling' the band as a brand.