Analysis of PBR&B music video

Frank Ocean - Swim Good

The mise en scene of the video relates to the style of Japanese films, from the costume choice, to the text at the start of the music video. The periodic clips of the ocean link to the song's title 'swim good' and gives he impression that he is free to do as he likes, the close ups of women's faces gives the character  history and causes the audience to question how heavily involved they are with the lyrics of the song.

We are initially shown a close up of Frank Ocean eating popcorn wearing a panda mask. Whilst this seems very abstract for the viewer, the panda is present in other Frank Ocean music videos and gives a sense of intertextuality. Frank is eating popcorn whilst viewing a what we can assume is a TV screen or may in fact be events metaphorically unfolding.

Frank is driving away in a car, it is not evident initially whether he is driving towards or away from something,  He is dressed in a samurai which relates to the panda which was shown earlier in the video. We are shown a montage of different angles of the car driving down windy roads, making the audience focus on the lyrics of the song.

As a close up of a woman's face appears with a glitching screen, the assumption is that his troubles are to do with a girl and shots after her face appears are sunnier and happier which suggests that she may have been a 'light' in his life. The appearance of static over her face again relates back to the initial scene in which we assumed he was watching events unfold.