The video starts in a typical American diner, and one man taps another on the back, who then starts to follow him. Then, men all dressed in denim and leather jump out of the shadows and then run into the distance, making howling noises. Immediately, an atmosphere is created as we want to know how these men are linked and where they are going. Creating mystery in the video. Another two men then appear from the sewers. One is dressed in unkempt looking clothing, and it appears that all of these men may be going to the same place.
Next, a pool hall is shown full of men. The lighting is quite dull, and the mood seems tense, like they are waiting for something or someone. One man in particular is focused on, he has an arrogant expression and then orders some other men to follow him. A woman, who was stood behind him, glances toward the group of men who are leaving, whilst smoking a cigarette. She has a relaxed expression, as if she knows what will happen or that she has seen this all before.
As the guitar kicks in and the song starts to pick up pace, another man is seen donning a white jacket, with a distinctive dragon motif on the back of it. The colour of his clothes is much brighter than those around him, which sets him apart from the rest of the pack. He also has a thick moustache and is wearing sunglasses; which further makes us believe that he may be a key character in the video, much like the man spotlighted before him. We see one group, led by the man with the moustache walk through the dark night. The setting and time of day casts an ominous shadow over the video, and makes me feel that something bad may happen. Although it is dark, he is still wearing heavy sunglasses which suggest he has a role of power as it is usually people such as celebrities who constantly wear sunglasses to show there power in society and so people do not talk to them. Michael Jackson is then seen lying on a bed, and he is singing the lyrics of the song, whilst looking concerned. More shots of the two separate groups are shown and this makes me think that they could be two rival gangs. The lyrics of the song suggest this also, as the lyrics have connotations of gang culture within them.
The crew are then seen walking through a street and as they are about to pass two people on the floor, they get up and join the group. This creates a sense of fear from the crew and that people are either ‘with them or against them’. Michael then exits his apartment or hotel room and the choreography begins. Michael dances in a dark corridor, with a large beam of light hitting him whilst he dances. His bright red jacket and blue t-shirt are contrasting of the dark colours seen throughout the video so far and are also iconic of him. Spooky alleyways, bland buildings and barbed wire fences convey the social class of this area. The setting looks depressing and rough; suggesting once again that these people may be up to no good.
Jackson is then seeing dancing in the diner seen at the start of the video. It seems like he may be on the trail of these two groups of men. We then see him in the pool hall; in which he is once again letting go of his emotions through dance. It seems like Michael’s dancing is him ‘beating’ in the gang culture referenced through the song, and that he is not going to fall into the dangerous groups of individuals casting a shadow over the neighbourhood.
Next, a pool hall is shown full of men. The lighting is quite dull, and the mood seems tense, like they are waiting for something or someone. One man in particular is focused on, he has an arrogant expression and then orders some other men to follow him. A woman, who was stood behind him, glances toward the group of men who are leaving, whilst smoking a cigarette. She has a relaxed expression, as if she knows what will happen or that she has seen this all before.As the guitar kicks in and the song starts to pick up pace, another man is seen donning a white jacket, with a distinctive dragon motif on the back of it. The colour of his clothes is much brighter than those around him, which sets him apart from the rest of the pack. He also has a thick moustache and is wearing sunglasses; which further makes us believe that he may be a key character in the video, much like the man spotlighted before him. We see one group, led by the man with the moustache walk through the dark night. The setting and time of day casts an ominous shadow over the video, and makes me feel that something bad may happen. Although it is dark, he is still wearing heavy sunglasses which suggest he has a role of power as it is usually people such as celebrities who constantly wear sunglasses to show there power in society and so people do not talk to them. Michael Jackson is then seen lying on a bed, and he is singing the lyrics of the song, whilst looking concerned. More shots of the two separate groups are shown and this makes me think that they could be two rival gangs. The lyrics of the song suggest this also, as the lyrics have connotations of gang culture within them.The crew are then seen walking through a street and as they are about to pass two people on the floor, they get up and join the group. This creates a sense of fear from the crew and that people are either ‘with them or against them’. Michael then exits his apartment or hotel room and the choreography begins. Michael dances in a dark corridor, with a large beam of light hitting him whilst he dances. His bright red jacket and blue t-shirt are contrasting of the dark colours seen throughout the video so far and are also iconic of him. Spooky alleyways, bland buildings and barbed wire fences convey the social class of this area. The setting looks depressing and rough; suggesting once again that these people may be up to no good.The groups of thugs are then seen entering some form of warehouse. Their body language is menacing, and it looks like they are ready for a fight. The man in the white outfit then comes into view, with a light shining on him. His position on a forklift higher than everyone else conveys his role as gang leader. The man introduced in the pool hall is focused on, before the men start to walk into the middle of their respective groups. Red lighting is subtly visible in this scene. Red has connotations of danger, blood and violence. The men then start to spar with knives until Michael Jackson finally enters the warehouse. He stands in between the two men as he utters the words, ‘it doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right, just beat it’, the 3 begin dancing in unison. The punch in the air several times, echoing the message of beating gang violence. The dancing reflects the meaning of the song and the location has been excellently selected in creating a credible community which is dangerous to be a part of.
