Director Of Rihanna's Russian Roulette Video Explains His Vision For The Clip [Commentary + Music Video Inside]
Video & Commentary After The Jump
MTV Reports
The video for Rihanna's "Russian Roulette" is just as eerie as the song itself. In a preview that aired on German TV and stills that appeared on the fan site RihannaDaily.com, the singer is seen drowning, being shot at and imprisoned. Of course, there are scenes of her sitting at a table with a man seeing who can win the deadly game.
Director Anthony Mandler — who also helmed the singer's "Wait Your Turn" clip — said the video is the perfect embodiment of the haunting ballad.
"I think that with this song and the meaning of this song and how loaded it all is, no pun intended, how much imagery and perhaps symbolism that is loaded in this song, the only way to do it was to do something that was visually challenging," he told MTV News about the video, which premieres Friday (November 13) on "20/20."
Mandler thought of the video as a metaphor for Rihanna's very public life in the gossip pages, as opposed to a direct comment on her February assault by then-boyfriend Chris Brown.
"I think you can't effect change unless you're willing to take a risk," he said. "You can't get people to pay attention and understand unless you're willing to push the limit and try new things. The song, this situation, everything is so frontloaded with so much gossip and so much media coverage and so many emotions and stories that if you don't try to do something that is poetic and layered in symbolism, then you're either running from the truth or you're being too obvious with it."
So, instead of literally telling the story of lovers in a dangerous game, Rihanna and Mandler decided to make that the subplot. "I think our objective was to run down our lane with it and to step out of the drama and the gossip," he said. "To get deeper and be more symbolic."
Comment
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Comment by HERB on November 16, 2009 at 1:41am -
RIHANNA TO THE WORLD!!!!
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Comment by Lakiamaria on November 15, 2009 at 1:48pm -
thelmbmovement.blogspot.com
a bit dark she has been dark for a min now but I'm not sure if her fans that she is trying to reach will get the symobolizim that they are trying to portray in this video
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Comment by DiZZy360 on November 15, 2009 at 2:17am -
this s*** is hot///\\\ dont hate
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Comment by luv on November 15, 2009 at 1:04am -
nice
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Comment by Mishka on November 14, 2009 at 6:49pm -
Hot Video!
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Comment by Christopher Raidr Johnson on November 14, 2009 at 4:11pm -
i agree with benny most of the other people are just followers
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Comment by Benny on November 14, 2009 at 1:29pm -
@Harlemhustla you sound like you have a f****** grade 4 education. Herman by the sounds of it is alot more intellectual then your degenerate ass. Do some studying into hermetic law and occultism and you will see. Jay-Z dose not sport Aleister Crowleys favorite saying on his shirt for no reason. You are the reason our race is being set back. Go watch some more NFL sunday you stupid piece of s***. And yes HERMAN this s*** is deeply saturated with the 3rd degree of craft masonry and its rituals. But im not about to get into that. No reason. Cuz you got stupid a******* like Harlem wish he was a hustler in this b****. []Deace!
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Comment by Harlemhustla on November 14, 2009 at 1:23pm -
Herman, you stupid m***********, stop worrying about artists being Devil Worshipers and learn how to be as successful as them.
And stop believing in fantacies Black people.
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Comment by stephanie michell on November 14, 2009 at 1:19pm -
hOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT,As usual Rihanna Divine mastermind
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Comment by Herman on November 14, 2009 at 11:29am -
OH AND BTW THIS VIDEO IS LOADED WITH SATANIC OCCULTISM...THEY ARE PREPARING FOR THE ANTI-CHRIST (THEIR LORD'S) RETURN
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