15 Film Analysis Preparation
“Dancing with the Devil” Music Video Analysis
Admitting that your problems have grown too big to deal with on your own takes immense amounts of strength and vulnerability. As Demi Lovato shows through their own experience with addiction in the music video, “Dancing with the Devil”, when you don’t realize how risky your actions are towards your wellbeing, a brush with death will quickly remind you. The singer shows that their perception of reality is continuously warped as they indulge in extreme amounts of alcohol and then implied drug use. The music video shows the watcher the harsh and raw experience that Demi went through as a result of an addiction they convinced themself they were controlling. As the video progresses, the watcher encounters continuous examples that show both the destructive choices made to fuel the addiction and the ill-intended people in Lovato’s life.
Control in this music video is a consistent theme as the viewer watches Lovato both contribute to their addiction but also lose power over it as people in their life enable the addiction. Lovato’s choice in the addiction is seen right from the beginning of the video as the singer’s first drink is drunk of her own choice, as can be seen by her order at the bar and the accompanying lyrics, “Just a little red wine, I’ll be fine”. It’s the first drink of the video and the only drink Lovato can be seen drinking that isn’t handed to her. Every drink after that first one in the video is handed to the singer from an unseen person offscreen and the drink is quickly downed without a second look. This portrays Lovato’s feeling of the loss of control once the addiction is becoming more aggressive. The only drink that they chose to take themselves was the very first one. Another way this loss of control is portrayed in the video is when they show Lovato, clearly under the influence as seen by their shaking, ending up with a bag of drugs just dropped in their lap. There is no indication that they were asking for these to be given to them and by appearance, the viewers’ understanding at that moment is that Lovato needs help, not more substances. The addiction their facing is obstructing their autonomy in the situation to figure out what is best for them. Between the drinks at the beginning and the drugs being dropped in their lap, the viewer is being shown that Lovato is both making choices that fuel their addiction and choices are being made for them. The last section of the video that shows how addiction can take away your control in your situation comes later in the video, after Lovato has been hospitalized. The video shows her getting a sponge bath from a hospital attendant. This moment symbolizes how addiction takes away all your autonomy and brings you to such a state of helplessness that someone else needs to help you through basic tasks such as bathing.
Overall, there were people in Lovato’s life that took hold of power over them by pushing them further into this state of addiction. When in a risky place like that with addiction, it’s important to acknowledge who has control over you and who has good intentions. Lovato can be seen with family and friends, but not until their in the hospital. It’s like that was the only place they could finally reach them, showing again how it’s up to the user to make the choice to find the people who love them and ask for help.