Taylor Swift - Love Story
The music video for Love Story by Taylor Swift references the stereotypical princess-centric fairytale, with elements of Romeo and Juliet and costume dramas such as Pride and Prejudice.
Perhaps most prominent of the intertextual references are the allusions to disney princesses, through both narrative and mise-en-scene. In the video, Taylor plays the protagonist who is locked away in a castle, only for a young man to come and rescue her. Visually, the clothes match this set-up - she is dressed in a long ballgown and many of the shots are taken from a window in a castle, bearing much similarity to Rapunzel. As Taylor Swift's core fanbase are females between 8-18, this reference is instantly recognisable , as most of these girls would have a sound knowledge of disney princess movies, and would be hitting the age of aspiring to have a perfect 'fairy tale' relationship.
The lyrics pay homage to Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', so it is unsuprising that the video includes some intertextual references to the play. The balcony scene is the most obvious homage, as Taylor is presented on an elevated level whilst her suitor is on the floor below. In terms of costume, the themes of 'Romeo and Juliet' are more noticeable in the male characters attire. Like Romeo, he is shown in some smart traditional mens clothes, but in the balcony scene he is dressed far more simply, indicating that he may be of a lower class in comparison to her.
The dance sequence in 'Love Story' is highly similar to those in both the BBC serial and the Joe Wright film adaption of 'Pride and Prejudice'. Like Romeo and Juliet and disney movies, Pride and Prejudice is commonly regarded, especially by women, to be one of the greatest love stories of all time, so by including a reference it gives the video a stronger feel of the epic romance it is aiming for.
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