11/28/2007: "Tim’s review of “Beliy Plaschik” and yours!"
I’ve been waiting since the announcement of this song as the next single to get my hands on the video an scrutinize it. To nobody's surprise, less than five hours after the release of Beliy Plaschik, I could hardly contain myself to critique the new video…
What is there to say about Beliy Plaschik? - To tell the truth, there’s quite a lot. t.A.T.u. create a deep, soulful video full of haunting bliss with a sophisticated message about violence and lack of compassion in humanity. A genuine t.A.T.u. message, presented in – as always. The best way possible. Simply t.A.T.u.
Please remember that this is not an official summary of the video, but Tim’s analysis of the video as a fan. We have no detailed information on what the true meaning of Beliy Plaschik is from t.A.T.u. or their management. Thank you.
- Beliy Plaschik: A Deeper Look -
Yа risuyu chernoy kraskoy
Na stene tupoe slovo
Dlya menya ono ne vazhno
Dlya tebya ono ne novo
Dlya menya ona naprasno
Dlya tebya neobhodimo
Ya risuyu chernoy kraskoy
Ya risuyu krivo krivo
What is there to say about Beliy Plaschik? - To tell the truth, there's quite a lot. But where to begin?
Why don't we start with the obvious - the intro. The video starts out with the phrase, "Sometime in the 21st Century..." Is this video representing a comparison of the past to the future? Of what lies in store for humanity?
Next we see a woman in lingerie (Lena) strutting down a sidewalk occupied by other people. The fast paced intro to Beliy Plaschik accompanies this woman in her exhilarated walk down the street side. Following along with this, we see the woman remove her heels as the music fades into the first refrain. The video then takes a slower tone. The refrains are calm, soothing and relaxed (not to mention done beautifully by Katina). Soft images and darkened colors are present. In the apartment - blacks and whites. The filmography used for these scenes were indeed creative. I assume they sped the music up to half speed and recorded the scenes featuring the refrain that way. Upon doing this, slowing the footage down to half would allow the lips to remain in sync with what is being sang, while slowing this woman’s motions and delaying the background on the whole. A great effect used with these powerful lyrics. It captures the moment brilliantly, shedding light into how gorgeous this woman is when she’s stripped down to nothing but what is nearly her bare body. From the soft vocals to the stunning body frame of Lena Katina, this is definitely an effective attention getter for the new single.
Branching off from Lena in this little segment, we catch our first glimpse of Yulia; a striking contrast to what many of us are used to. Yulia Volkova is no longer the raven haired beauty, but a stripped down, robe covered fragment of herself. Her eyes are heavy, her hair is unkempt. Her piercing blue eyes are no longer blue, but a dull gray; a mirror of the cell she is a prisoner too...Yet there's something underneath it all. Sulking in her bed, she raises and beings to brush her teeth. Violent strokes of her toothbrush vent her anger and frustration, and then in an instant she stops. She stares. She understands. She accepts. Knowing her demise will be in this concrete prison, this woman gives in and accepts her fate. In a last attempt at an inner struggle, this woman spits at her reflection and strips her body down to bare skin. Submerging herself into a shower of steel and stone surroundings.
Pulya v serdce
Mozg na dvercu
Nimb i kryl'ya
Odevaem
Beliy Plaschik
Dushu v nebo
Slozhim v yashik
Otpuskaem
Pulya v serdce
Mozg na dvercu
Nimb i kryl'ya
Odevaem
Beliy Plaschik
Dushu v nebo
Slozhim v yashik
Otpuskaem
Led into the chorus by a scaling organ, we are struck by the sudden force of the dynamics of Beliy Plaschik. The chorus, a perfect harmony of insanity, pleading and defiance, which Volkova tackles perfectly. Dousing herself in the shower of ice, she remains still; without a shiver (you expect a place like this to house hot water?). Taking off her strong front, Yulia wets her hair and rinses herself free from shame, from caring and from attachments to this world. Just as she does this, Lena dives into her bed and beings to undress; to strip from her already lacking clothing into the bare essentials. Her rest does not last long however. In seconds she is back up, dressing herself in something new, something different...A uniform? What exactly is going on with this woman that we don't know about? Why is she wearing a uniform?
Vremya snova 20:10
My s toboy seychas ne vmeste
Ty sidish' v uglu i plachesh'
Mozhet byt' menya durachish'
Ya lyublyu tebya poslushat'
Raskryvay mne tol'ko dushu
Mysli zdes' ne prigodyatsya
Vremya snova 20:20
Dressed in her uniform, Katina sits in the back of a car, traveling to an unknown location. Volkova is presented with food, which she firmly refuses by tossing to the floor. Another example of the shower symbolizing the rinse from attachment to earthly objects such as food. Pulling in, we get our first view of the car from the outside. An older car, but a nice one none the less. Professional looking. Stopping outside a gate, we're greeted by this sign...
DETENTION CENTER
DEPARTMENT OF CONTROL
The car is engulfed in a sea of people; are they protesting something? They're smacking the car, one man is waving a bible, and others are shaking the car. Obviously something immoral is going on. Whatever it is, the car moves on. An unstoppable force, even among the opposition from the public. Perhaps this symbolizes a regime of some sort? Volkova on the other hand is enjoying the comfort of red wine in her cell. It is unknown to us that she is pregnant at this time, but why would she be drinking wine if she is so? Let's examine this...Wine, the drink of the gods. Alcoholic, an internal cleansing agent. A means to wash away the sin she's passed along to her child. Upon finishing her drink, she is escorted to standing position and confined in shackles.
Pulya v serdce
Mozg na dvercu
Nimb i kryl'ya
Odevaem
Beliy Plaschik
Dushu v nebo
Slozhim v yashik
Otpuskaem
Pulya v serdce
Mozg na dvercu
Nimb i kryl'ya
Odevaem
Beliy Plaschik
Dushu v nebo
Slozhim v yashik
Otpuskaem
Escorted down the dank corridor to an unknown destination, Volkova does not struggle. Could this be symbolizing the path of life, an unknown corridor with many doors and only one exit? It's a possibility. In contrast to this, Katina appears in her uniform for the first time. Marching (does this look familiar?) to an also unknown destination to us, but a definite location to her. On the wall, a stupid word.
EXIT
Finally it's coming together. A corridor of life, and an exit. - Death. It is unknown to the audience what lies in store for Volkova at this time, but the striking parallel presents us with one woman walking to her death, and one woman walking to authorize murder. A white robed contrast to a drawing with a black crayon.
Both parties (Volkova and Katina), emerging from their separate corridor are introduced for the first time. Volkova is chained to a pole, the White Robe - her final Earthly possession removed from her body; revealing pregnancy, the climax of the video. The opposing guardsmen aim their rifles. Intent to kill. Not one, but two lives. Both possibly innocent. One, possibly not. A blank fixation is expressed on Volkova's face. She stares to the sky, she adjusts for comfort and does not struggle against her captors. She has embraced death, and is prepared to follow through with it. Then the instructions are issued...
Ready.
Aim.
Fire.
Finally parted from the world, both cleansed of their attachments to life; they depart. Volkova and her unborn child are dead.
Keeping their eyes fixated upon the massacre before them, the guards and Katina keep blank expressions. The only interruption from the execution comes from the sudden surging of an alarm. Katina does not redirect her gaze...Then, the ringing of a telephone in the distance. Katina looks up, cocks her head in curiosity and confusion. What about this phone call provokes this, when the siren did not. Perhaps this woman was to be pardoned? Perhaps this woman wasn't meant to be murdered. Perhaps this phone call ordered the immediate abandonment of the execution. - A death pardon. Whatever the reasoning, Katina regains her professionalism and blocks the phone call from her mind. Returning her gaze to the mangled sight, yards in front of her...The video fades out, the sound is gone. Beliy Plaschik ends.
Overall Reaction: An excellent video from the t.A.T.u. team. Wonderfully organized, beautifully choreographed, simplistic and intricate. A genuine t.A.T.u. video with a new spice, and an arrangement and vocals to match it. Taking elements from history and paralleling them (even if the Insider contradicts this to some extent), t.A.T.u. create a deep, soulful video full of haunting bliss with a sophisticated message about violence and lack of compassion in humanity. A genuine t.A.T.u. message, presented in - as always. The best way possible. Simply t.A.T.u.
Special thanks to
Maria Maksakova. Without her this song would not exist.
Review by Tim Reed.