Intertextuality in Madonnas music videos

Its not surprising that many music videos draw upon cinema for ideas and concepts because these are things the audience will be familiar with and understand the symbolism of them. The use of intertextuality in music videos can be seen in many of Madonnas music videos. Madonna is an artist who has had a career lasting over 20 years and she constantly uses intertextual references in her music videos. For example in Material Girl (Mary Lambert 1985) the intertextual link is from the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) when Marilyn Monroe sang Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend. Madonna copied the costume, setting, and use of male admires in her video. The intertextual image is not necessarily of Monroe, but of the Hollywood archetype of the sexy blonde who uses her looks to get what she wants. Compare the stills below and see how similar they are. Music video producer as Mary Lambert in 1985 dressed Madonna in replica clothing and had similar choreography created to represent this film for the song Material girls.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

Madonna Material Girl (1985) Again in Madonnas music video for Vogue directed by David Fincher shot in blackand-white, the video takes stylistic inspiration from the 1920s and 30s. It shows Madonna paying homage to numerous golden era Hollywood actresses in it. In the images below we can see that Madonna imitating poses of famous film stars such as Marilyn Monroe, Veronica Lake and Marlene Dietrich. The lyrics of the song make reference to Hollywood actors of the 1930s. This video has drawn upon cinematic features as a starting point for inspiration for location, setting, hair and makeup for example Madonna has a 1930s wave hair style and is wearing a 1930s corset all edited to look like a 1930s black and white Hollywood film art deco art movement to enhance these concepts.

Madonna imitates 1930's star Veronica Lake

1930's wave hairstyle

In Madonnas music video Like a Prayer Madonna worked with director Mary Lambert again but the intertextuality is not cinematic but cultural and religious in this video. The video features Madonna as a witness to a murder, who hides in a church for safety. It also portrays Catholic symbols such as stigmata and burning crosses, and a dream about making love to a saint. Images of churches and items from a church are seen as is a black saint; this is set against images of burning crosses. This evokes images of the racist KKK who use religion to persecute black people. Madonna is seen in a church with a revealing dress on, which would seem inappropriate culturally in a church.

burning crosses and Madonna in sexcual clothing

religious imagery

This is one of Madonnas most recent music videos for Hung Up directed by Johan Renck and released in 2005. The video returns on the use of cinematic and cultural intertextuality. The video was inspired by 1970s disco era and is a tribute to John Travolta and the film Saturday Night Fever (1977). The setting in the dance studio, directly related to image in Saturday Night Fever. For Example the pinewood panelling is the same, as is the mirrors and the dance bar. The costume Madonna

wears pays homage to the female character in Saturday Night Fever, she wears a similar leotard. Madonna hair style is a 1970s style made famous by Farrah Fawcett star of the hit 1970s Charlies Angles.

Saturday Night Fever (1977)

The dance moves Madonna uses again imitates the disco dance style seen in Saturday Night Fever by John Travolta. Disco lights the same as in Saturday Night Fever the use of disco lights on the album cover is also link to the disco scenes from Saturday Night Fever.

the famous dance by John Travolta