The music video has a very clear linear
narrative structure portrayed in the style of a silent movie. Throughout, the
audience are given a restricted viewpoint, meaning the audience are given as
much information as the main character (and lead singer). This allows the
audience to identify him as the protagonist.
The narrative displays elements of narrative
theorists. For example, Claude Levi Strauss’ theory that
all narratives are a series of oppositions is seen in this music video. The
binary opposite of good vs. bad seen in the protagonist ‘Christophe’ and the
antagonist ‘Claude’. Also, rich vs. poor is an idea presented by the narrative
as Christophe is merely the woman, Cecile’s, assistant. Claude is a famous
magician and a rich man. In this narrative the audience are positioned to view
being poor as positive and being rich as negative. The semantic code, a theory
suggested by Roland Barthes, emphasises the rich vs. poor divide. Cecile’s
costumes, for example the elaborate headpieces and glamorous sunglasses portray
the wealth of her husband. More obviously, the black and white nature of the
video indicates the time period in which the narrative is set.
Another theorist whose ideas are present in this
narrative is TzvetanTodorov. Todorov’s theory of the 5 stages begins with the
equilibrium stage. In the music video, this stage is presented as a magician
performance from Cecile and Christiophe. This situation and their relationship
is portrayed in a particularly positive light. The disruption that follows is
depicted in the form of Cecile’s drunken husband Claude. This leads to the
recognition stage, in which Christophe notices bruises on Cecile’s arm. The
attempt to repair the disruption is the climactic point of the narrative, at
which point Christophe floats Claude up in the air out of view using ‘magic’.
The new equilibrium is the final of the 5 stages and is very relatable to the
original equilibrium, as the video returns to Cecile and Christophe performing
a magic act.
It is possible to apply Vladimir Propp’s theory
to the narrative, however it is not as closely applicable. The story does
feature a hero (Christophe), a villain (Claude) and a princess (Cecile).
However, the narrative is simpler and therefore does not include other
characters that Propp proposed such as the dispatcher or the father of the
princess.
The narrative relates to the lyrics of the song,
by portraying both metaphorical magic and physical magic. The metaphorical
magic is depicted through the relationship between Christophe and Cecile and
this portrays the ‘magic’ described in the lyrics of the song. The magic act
and the protagonist’s eventual discovery that he can levitate connects more
literally to the title of the song ‘Magic’. This requires the audience to be
more willing to ‘suspend their disbelief’, as the narrative requires they
accept that the character can levitate at will. This partially limits the
audience of the music video, as some people may not be willing to accept this
as part of the narrative. This physical and supposed ‘real’ magic occurs quite
near the end of the story, most likely allowing people to familiarise
themselves with the world and establish some degree of verisimilitude the
narrative is set in before requiring them to suspend their disbelief further.
