War Hero

1. Video Analysis
Band: Rise Against
Directed by: Meriert Avis
Album: Appeal to reason

2. Hero of war
The song starts out with an army
recruiter asking the protagonist, a
potential recruit, to enlist. With
promises of adventure and
money, they do indeed sign up.
At the end of the song, the
enlistee, now a veteran, recalls
with bitter irony the army
recruiter's promise that signing
up would mean he could "see the
world."

3. Hero of war
Here we see the protagonist
sat in a playground
performing the song. This is
used to create the feeling
that he is thinking back on
the memories and telling his
story to the audience.

4. Hero of war
This low shot of the protagonist's feet
plays on with the narrative and also with
the lyrics to the song "Black leather
boots", the shot also helps the video live
up to the convention of war and soldiers,
showing the typical leather boots.
The shot shows the soldier treading over
broken glass, suggesting that there has
been a lot of wreckage, which again,
lives up to the convention of war.
The close up of the soldiers feet is used
to hide the identity of him, suggesting
that he is just another soldier and has
lost his individuality and has been
depersonalised by the war.

5. Hero of warThis shot shows a close up of the
protagonist crying to himself in the
mirror, this signifying the pain he is
suffering during his time in the army.
This shot links well with the lyrics
overlaying it as he is speaking of
another mans pain and suffering
caused by him 'They took off his
clothes, they pissed in his hands, I
told them to stop, but then I joined in,
we beat him with guns and batons'.
The shot shows that he is ashamed
of himself for making the man suffer.
It also suggests that he is lying to
himself and being lied to by his
country 'hero of war' and has falling
for the proper gander 'son have you
seen the world, what would you say,
if I said you could'

6. Hero of war
'She walked, through bullets and haze, I asked her
to stop, I begged her to stay, but she pressed on, so
I lifted my gun, and fired away..' In this shot a close
up has been used to exaggerate the innocence on
the young girls face, who is referred to in the lyrics
This shot shows us the protagonist begging the
girl to stay. This signifies to us he unwillingness
to harm the girl however he does anyway
because he is under order to do so.
'A hero of war? Is that what they see?' These
lyrics link well with the shots as they identify
again his unwillingness to shoot the girl and also
the shame he now feels, rather than being a
hero.

7. Hero of war
At the end of the video the lyric 'Son, have
you seen the world? well what would you
say, if i said that you could?' is repeated
however this time the shot now shows a
unhappy man rather that the young
ambitious happy teen who signed up at the
beginning of the video. This shows how the
war changed the protagonist and how he
regrets falling for the proper gander.