Madonna: Drowned World/Substitute for Love (1998 Music Video) User Reviews

Atmospheric, mesmerising video brilliantly ties into song and Madonna.

[douglasbrook-1 · 9/10 · 20 May 2020]

The song is a slow build, atmospheric, classic. The video perfectly fits the song and ties in the themes with Madonna as a real person and as an artist. I love the balance of her going out and coming home at the end. Thematic touches of Animal doco on TV showing wild animals tearing each other apart. Night streets and the attack of flashes and video lights. Madonna alone and trapped in her car as she is chased by the paparazzi. Then putting on a show as she waves apparently sincerely to fans but then is mobbed inside by VIP sycophants. She escapes down a back corridor - passing a waiter and a maid and she smiles in a search for a genuine connection but the maid takes her picture. I love how it captures the search for truth amongst the people of the material world. Madonna can't find it and she escapes home where the pure innocent love of her daughter is more fulfilling than the human animals outside. Everything about this video is so well done especially teh shocking crazy vampirish sycophants at the end party. Love Madonnas defiant look at them all. A brilliant classic video to an epic haunting beautiful song.