Sigur Rós - Viðrar vel til loftárása

The song is set in 1950’s Iceland and features a man throwing his sons toy dolls into the ocean, and a boy returning them to him. There is then a football match between two teams of 10 - 13 year olds. The match ends with the two boys kissing and adults tearing them apart. The overall message is the reaction to homosexuality in the 50’s, and is amongst NME’s ‘most controversial videos’.


The setting is very simple and clear, surroundings feature high valleys and mountains, with bleak weather and bland, uncomplicated scenery. I feel that the white skies and damp environment reflects the overall mood of the video; Bleak and melancholy. The Swedish countryside is an excellent basis for a video with such a strong narrative, as it’s almost like a blank canvas leaving room for the story. Slow motion is used the whole way through on every shot, at least 50% speed - This effect is brilliant as it not only goes with the slow pace of the song, but it emphasises every facial expression and emotion, and portrays the narrative in very few shots.

 The iconic subjects in the video is the toy dolls the boy is playing with at the start, the Bible, and the contrast of innocence. The dolls flying through the air and the second boy looking over his shoulder represent the power the two boys have in their world, and how everything happens around them with no control of their own. The Bible is dropped on the floor as the fathers pull the boys away from each other, symbolising the false understanding of the text, and failure to live up to true christian expectations/or how their faith was The contrast of innocence consists of the pale 1st boy, with his white hair and clean clothes, and his father with yellowed crooked teeth and dirty wrinkled face.

In the scene where the two are kissing in the middle of the playing field, the music becomes climactic and orchestral, and we straight cut to flashbacks of the two boys playing together and hugging.