Examine how Radiohead uses strategies and structures to shape meaning

The music video for “Just” by Radiohead utilises a linear narrative structure which can therefore be examined using Todorov’s concept of narrative. The video can then be divided into a three act structure as the first third is the protagonist walking, in the second he lies down and is questioned rather aggressively by pedestrians and the third act is when the rest of the people join him in dying down. Although there are three acts, the video experiences equilibrium and disequilibrium but it refuses to have a new equilibrium that is comprehensible to the audience as the video cuts when the man explains why he’s lying down before he’s joined.

The video symbolises the complexity of life through the lack of ideological closure provided by Radiohead. As a narratologically open text, it affects the audience as it makes them feel frustrated as they don’t know what’s happened, furthering this ideological closure that makes an audience feel comfortable. The video does, however, have a linear storyline which is comprehensible and the curiosity drives the storyline but when an ending is not clearly given it’s likely to frustrate Radiohead’s audience as when the piece builds up as it suggests a denouement.

The narrative can be understood as being driven by the protagonist at the beginning as walking drives the story forward as a proairetic code. Along with this, others include the subtitles as they drive the narrative forward opening new nareems to continue the video. Also, the subtitles not being present in the section when they’re needed is known as the enigmatic code which causes the remainder of the video to frustrate the audience. The ground is displayed as a symbolic object but the audience never find out the symbolism of this which adds to the enigma of the video.