Gaga EG 3 - Alejandro

About The Video:

Directed By: Steven Klein

Track: Alejandro

Genre: Synthpop

Lyrics

Summary:

One of her more controversial videos, with significant religious references and the involvement of scantily clad men in leather and fishnet tights. This gaga video represents a fatal combination between Gaga and director Steven Klein.

Video Synopsis:

The video starts with various men saluted out and marching in a militaristic manner, this then fades to a shot of gaga, which combines with the sad start of the song. this us combined with shots of the sacred heart being carried, by gaga as part of a funeral parade. We also see a soldier with a golden gun sat on a bed, wearing only his underwear. interestingly the first drop is not reflected in the video's editing. in fact the second drop does not lead to a change in shot. most of the first verse and chorus are made up by cutting between the men dancing and gaga dinging. The next verse and chorus are also centred around two settings, the red nun on the bed and gaga in the bedroom area, with all the men. the bridge is then made up of shots of gaga in the Joan of Arc costume and also Red nun gaga swallowing rosary beads. This leads into the build before the chorus, which is made up of gaga in a studio setting, with men marching around her, the shot fades and pulses with the beat of the song. The drop then leads to shots of gaga dancing with the men in the miltsry bra outfits. The music then mostly stops, and gaga is seen performing in the leather and sunglasses, this is combined with shots of gaga, almost flashback like, through the video, and a man watching riots. There is then a drop, which switches beween two scenes mostly, (studio and the military bra scene) but also leads to the Joan of Arc scene, and the red nun. the end features gaga removing her Joan of Arc costume and a shot coming up the bed of the red nun gaga, which ends with the film burning out, starting from her mouth and eyes.

Costumes:

8 costumes from Gaga in this video, which is seeming to be the lower boundary of the average.

Funeral Clothes

Dictator/Leader

Red latex nun

Underwear

Joan of Arc

Plain black

Military madonna

Topless underwear and leather jacket

Intertextuality
I couldn't find many references to previous texts, aside from the bra with the guns, which reminded me of Madonna and a costume she wore (and also the bra from bad romance). And the end part, with the leather jacket, reminded me slightly of Freddie Mercury. Other references include the sacred heart of jesus and Joan of Arc.