Page - 16 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 06/02

16 | Natalie Fritz and Anna-Katharina Höpflinger www.jrfm.eu 2020, 6/2, 7–20 All the images we see are in the end entangled with the vital image repertoire we have saved within us, in our human bodies. Each image is located within our bodies, with which we perceive what is external to our body, adjusting (or contextualising) what we see with what we already know. When Florence + The Machine not only sing of a “Big God” and call Jesus by name but also highlight emotional aspects of the song’s lyrics with subtle but evident references to religious imagery (cross, rebirth, baptism), we can con- clude that the presence of religion is not by accident; it is intended to direct the affective impact of the song. The “Body” of the Song The female body is central to the representation of emotion in the music video for “Big God”. Florence’s body is far more than just an instrument used to articulate words and thereby shape the melody. Her voice is incredibly expressive, as she whispers, sings, cries and croaks, but so too is her physical presence, particularly the way she moves her body. In squatting, flexing and trudging with the other women through the water, she expresses anger, hope, vulnerability and relief. The female body conveys not only words but also im- ages. Images are created by the moving bodies, the colours and the light and are representations of emotions which are part of our common imaginary. The music video of Big god brings us words as well as images. The lyrics are polysemous: they are about a woman feeling rejected by someone she feels close to, but can also be read as a woman’s fervent plea to God to answer her prayers and requests. Her words “To my messages, you do not reply” may be directed to a real person, but they could also be for a transcendent being. Or for both. In her despair and loneliness Florence returns to God, even though she does not seem sure of her faith. The line “I still like you the most / You’ll always be my favourite ghost” may likewise refer to her ex-love and also to a transcendent counterpart, to whom she cannot connect. She stomps in the water, without orientation or destination. There must be a “big God”, but she evidently cannot see him/her/it. The unveiling of the women, which happens with the fading of the word “ghost”, can be read symbolically, as her opening her eyes and finding a way to get through this on her own, almost a visual injunction to pull herself together. With an almost angry energy she begins to struggle against the pain, and when she cries out, “Jesus Christ, it hurts”, the listener might recall Jesus on the cross as he cried out to his father in his darkest hour (Matt. 27:46). This connotation is reinforced by the visualisation