This audiovisual essay focuses on one specific montage sequence in the 2020 Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit, which uses Shocking Blue’s 1969 song “Venus” as soundtrack. The use of the song and its music video not only expresses the emotional state of the protagonist, but also raises questions about watching music television as a cultural practice.
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Facts
- Script, narration and editing: Jaap Kooijman
- Title design: Thomas Schwartz Larsen
- Title music: Mathias Bonde Korsgaard
- Excerpts from The Queen’s Gambit 1.6 (Netflix, 2020), Shocking Blue’s music video “Venus” (director unknown, 1969), and Bananarama’s music video “Venus” (dir. Peter Care, 1986)
