Countdown 8, 7, 6...: Beyoncé and Cinema
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
Everyone knows who Beyoncé Knowles-Carter is. Let’s not kid ourselves. There doesn’t really need to be an introduction to the daughter of record executive Mathew Knowles (who managed her until 2010), her first group Destiny’s Child, and her sensational solo career. There’s also the continuous push of her own capabilities, which have raised her above her pop star peers in terms of creative and artistic output; Beyoncé walks the walk. In fact, I fear that by going into detail that members of her fanbase will lambaste me for forgetting intricate details. I’m not here for that. However, I do want to focus a little bit on Queen Bey’s connection with cinema. Today is her fortieth birthday, which is astounding considering that she’s been dominating music for at least twenty five years. Let’s see how she is also associated with film to honour her on her big day.
Outside of a made-for-tv version of Carmen with a hip hop nature, her first major film was the third film in the Austin Powers trilogy Goldmember, where she played Foxxy Cleopatra (golden afro and all). It’s important to bring this film up not just because this is where her cinematic connection begins, but because it also does classify where Beyoncé was at the time. She was as much of a superstar as anyone else. You’re a successful singer, so you’re going to star in the next big mainstream hit (especially sequels for popular franchises). Her trajectory was exactly as it would seem: a comedy like The Fighting Temptations here, and a terrible revival of The Pink Panther there. This was as mainstream as it could get. This was smooth sailing for someone who wanted to be in film but also wanted to prioritize music: you get to star in stuff, but easy-going and fun films that weren’t meant to set the world on fire.
Soon enough, Dream Girls would come. Heavily inspired by Motown acts like The Supremes, Dream Girls placed Beyoncé in the best setting she would have as an actress. She was clearly meant to have music — and good music — amongst her, even in a cinematic setting. The last good film was the next one with Cadillac Records (this time she was Etta James). It was around this year that there was something a little different about ‘Yoncé and her artistry. After Cadillac Records, Obsessed would come next and that was a considerable dip in quality. However, musically, she was trying to go somewhere else. Her third solo album I Am… Sasha Fierce had her playing two different personalities, including an alter ego that translated her new acting passion in a whole new way. This small portal into a new side of music would start the better years of her discography; while early Beyoncé was good radio music, she would aim to go higher with her catalogue from here on out.
Her music was still made to be played on the airwaves, but suddenly her music videos were starting to ramp up in quality. Lest we forget the now-iconic video for “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”: yes, the very one that Kanye West deemed one of the greatest videos of “all time” (and, to be fair, he isn’t wrong). Beyoncé was positioned next to two other ladies, doing a standard (but strong) dance routine, but all of this was shot so incredibly well: via long takes, shifting lighting and depths of field, and other camera tricks. This was a revolutionary take on a tired formula and the sign of a pop star who wanted to become so much more. Her album 4 carried on this train of thought, with music videos that were a little bit extra (although none came close to what she achieved with “Single Ladies”).
This creative streak continued later, and in such a powerful way. There was Beyoncé: a self titled record released out of the blue, without a single hint whatsoever. What came with it was not a handful of music videos, but rather music videos for every single song on the album. Here was essentially a visual album, with each track telling a little bit of Beyoncé’s personal story. There’s “Flawless” that featured actual footage of a young Beyoncé in her band Girl’s Tyme performing on Star Search, as well as some stunning cinematography that blended the singer and her backdrop with a monochromatic sheen. Lead single “Drunk in Love” looked like a standard music video but just shot so much better and dynamically, as if this was the direction that music videos would be heading. That was only a slice of the story, since the videos for “Haunted” and “Heaven” are artistically gorgeous, and showed that these are what popular music videos can be. Beyoncé was a manifest of what other pop stars should be doing, and it all arrived without a single shred of promotional material. What would lead up to this?
Well, she struck gold again with the even-better Lemonade, which was finally showing the singer exiting her comfort zone musically; on Beyoncé her lyrics got more daring, but here she was actually trying out different sounds entirely. Then came her greatest achievement of all: the music video for the entire Lemonade album, which is a masterpiece of the medium. If Beyoncé’s videos were meant to take us to a new place, Lemonade shot itself years in advance and has left us waiting for other music videos to catch up. Here is one seamlessly connected commentary on being a female person of colour in today’s age, and her influences included other strong women like Julie Dash and Serena Williams. Shot in a near-Malickian style, Lemonade is a visual wonderland cinematically. It is presented as an entire film as well: all of the separate videos are mashed together into one final product that details a series of messages underneath one major statement: Beyoncé has changed music videos once again. Lemonade would ultimately rank the highest on my list of the best music videos of all time.
This kind of artistry would continue on her joint album with husband Jay-Z called Everything is Love: the “Apeshit” video was shot in an empty Louvre where no one could bother the dynamic duo. Beyoncé herself eventually starred in another film: the less-than-stellar The Lion King remake. However, she continued her connection with cinema this way additionally by releasing a soundtrack titled The Lion King: The Gift. Furthermore, an entire film set to this album titled Black is King was released (somewhat interesting, since The Gift was tied to The Lion King, but here was the better alternative). Black is King was directed by Beyoncé herself, as well as a number of collaborative co-directors. Even though her passion for film and filmmaking is connected more through her music, cinema is clearly something Beyoncé adores and wishes to be a part of. Subsequently, she has pushed the music video medium in the process, thus marrying the best of both worlds.
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.