Genre Characteristics
It is quite hard to define the genre characteristics for this song because Eminem's music is quite a bit different to normal 'Gangster Rap'. Also this song is from his new album Recovery which is quite different in content to his old albums which were extremely explicit and controversial. However this song is simply about a rough relationship between a couple - not the conventional rap content. Rap videos normally include exotic cars, expensive jewellery, designer clothes and beautiful women. However in this song only one of those factors are included (the women) but as attractive as they are their beauty is not really excelled in the video.
The Relationship Between the Visuals and the Lyrics
The last line is 'im'a tie her to the bed and set this house on fire' and throughout there are visuals of flames and at the end a house is literally burning in the background.
Eminem also expresses taking out his anger on a wall (instead of hitting his wife - the main point of the song) by saying 'next time I'm pissed I'll aim my fist at the dry wall' and in the video the male character punches into a wall.
'right now there's a steel knife in my windpipe' - Eminem brings his fist up to his neck as if he was pulling a knife out of his neck.
'Where you going?, I'm leaving you. No you ain't, come back' - the characters in the video mime these lines as they are said in the song, imitating the actual conversation.
Is there any reference to the notion of voyeurism?
There are many references to the notion of voyeurism - the video is predominantly about watching a couple is a tough (almost abusive) relationship. This voyeuristic attitude allows the audience to reflect on their situations at home and sympathise for the characters in the video. It also allows them to reflect on the lyrics - which have an extremely serious tone.
Editing & Use of the Camera
The transitions between shots throughout are cuts. This is appropriate for the pace of the song which has quite a fast beat - creating a fast paced visual. The cuts mostly take place between the narrative part of the video and the performance so that the audience can easily link the lyrics to the video. There is only one point in the video where the camera has a high angle above the lead artist Eminem - and this is only because it is appropriate to the song. The lyrics state 'its like I'm in flight' at which point it cuts to an aerial shot (shown in the top left of the picture below).
This shot also puts Eminem into the centre of the shot, suggesting his importance in the video. The other shots featured in this montage are all low angles shots, which are used throughout the video - allowing Eminem to tower over the viewer, suggesting his dominance and strength in the music. There are also many close ups of both artists throughout the video. The reasons for close ups like these in the video is an attempt to sell the artist - you know who is performing and want to purchase other songs by them. For example, Rihanna dominates in shot when she is singing the chorus, because these types of vocals are what sell many rap songs.
Mise-en-Scène
The first use of Mise-en-Scène we see in this video is how Rihanna looks in the opening chorus. Her hair is red, with connotations of heat and fire. The typical connotation of red is love, which is a major part of the song. The clothes worn throughout are typical of those worn in trailer parks or the 'trailer trash' community in America. This consists of vests/tank tops, jeans, boots and combat jackets.
Another aspect of Mise-en-Scène in the video is location. Most of the narrative takes place in a run-down part of the US and the couple's house is of poor condition with the walls mostly peeling, of a dull colour and filled with holes.
