The Rasmus - 'In The Shadows' music video analysis

This video is very much like the Blink 182 video 'I Miss You'. It's been made with a lot of common horror movie conventions, which really works within the rock genre. Like Blink 182, it begins with a stark contrast of flashing lights, alternating between pitch black and bright white, revealing the band singing in front of an audience in various shots. There are low angle shots of the lead singer, making it clear he is to be respected and most of the attention is to be on him.

The video alternates between shots of the band performing and clips from whats supposed to be an old Victorian movie. The lyrics 'In the shadows, of my time' probably influence the Victorian era idea, which is like Blink 182 as they incorporate a time of the past, however this time the Rasmus are in the present day. The Gothic hall the band are playing in looks to be the same hall as one of the shots in the 'Victorian movie'. Also like Blink 182, there are specks of white flashes and white lines randomly dotting the screen, emphasising its an old movie.

From watching the video, I believe they have used the common plot of a horror movie; the main character seeing ghosts in a mirror and then everybody thinking they are crazy. However, with a slight twist. The Victorians woman is seeing 'ghosts' of the future; witnessing the Rasmus and their fans dancing in the mirror, trying to lear her into it. This is quite a clever angle on a common idea, and like Blink 182 and the men being dressed up as women, reveals a sort of twisted side to the rock genre, like they are testing common assumptions. I also like the way the Victorian shots remind me of an old silent movie, which in my opinion gives it more of a creepy edge.

My interpretation of the ending, when the, what look like maids, find the Victorian woman missing from the bed, is that the man with the maids is most likely a doctor or the man of the house, called in when her visions of 'ghosts' in the mirror are mistaken for mental illness. I believe this as this idea is also common in horror films; the main character has real psychic ability and everyone thinks they are crazy.