Coldplay’s Paradise: Lost In Paradox

While meandering through MLYO XYLOTO, I have great difficulty trying to restrain varying levels triumph and curiosity. Paradise, in particular, is a haunting tale of woe, wonder, and disillusion. The message of a young woman, frantic with boundless optimism, in a constant and desperate search for inner paradise.

This is a tragic tale that unfortunately imitates life, as a close friend of mine had to experience her boyfriend’s suicide.  The kinetics of suicide can stop time and space; able to create a tempest of sadness, confusion, anger, and guilt.  Suicide hurts everyone.

I was inspired to draft “Lost In Paradox” after listening to Paradise 10x as a re-imagining to the existing Paradise music video.  Being a member of Generation Y, I remember the “Age of the Music Video” and we are currently so far off from that once sacred ideology.

“Lost In Paradox”; expect immersive blue nebula, parallel universes, self-sacrifices, and tragic dreamscapes.

All shot in vivid color and hard foreground focus, it will stir controversy and raise observation. Scene specifics are listed below and in song structure sequence:

…

Intro: side scrolling pan of a cobblestoned village with a Mediterranean setting. The streets are filled with life and decoration; local flowers are streamed along lamp-posts and fences. Children run towards the end of the street corner as the camera begins a gradual ascension. (violins) More and more of the decorated village become visible as the vantage perspective begins to climb above treetops. 

Pre-verse/verse: sun haze can be seen as we overlook the village’s main attraction, the parade announcing the Prince-King’s first day as King. With a hybrid of Moroccan/Western Indian theme, the village subjects are able to make their first glance of their majestic young ruler.   

The Prince-King stands firm atop a grand elephant of white with drapes of gold and glisten.  He waves his royal wave, while his Princess-Bride “Leila” sits atop her white elephant by his side. She can be seen, proud, content, and hopeful of a promising future with mate.

Mid-verse/2^nd verse: approaching a two-way bridge over a jagged ravine, the dark skinned Prince-King has been instructed to sit on the saddled neck. In odd defiance, the Prince-King stands at attention. He leaps off the white elephant heading for a collision course for the depths of the sea. Before he makes contact, the Princess-Bride shields her eyes, fingers begin to cover the lens of the camera and goes into blackness.

2^nd verse/chorus: fingers recede from the lens and unveil a suburban home with idyllic white picket fencing during a holiday meal. A young mother “Leila” of 2 and a clearly visible 3^rd on the way serves the main dish to her family.  The proud husband hears a disturbance in the foyer and takes the carving knife to investigate. To his surprise, an armed burglar kicks down the front door and the two are locked into combat. The knife met the intruder’s heart after the pistol’s discharge forcing exit wounds through the lungs and head. The wife and two kids cautiously enter the hall to see both men laying in red muck. She screams with conflict, covering her eyes as fingers begin to cover the lens.

Chorus: fingers recede as young business “Leila” parks her car in front of an apartment building with Happy Birthday balloons. She calls her boyfriend who is quivering, shirtless and alone with a blue luminance being casted from the TV. While on the phone, he puts a pistol into mouth while continuing the conversation. She bursts through the lobby level to see 2 elevators, one is closed with maintenance tape and the other has an impatient crowd gathering in the doorway. Desperate, she dashes up the stairs with her business pumps stomping the surface as she hears the gunshot from the phone. She barges through the door to find her boyfriend slumped over his desk and covers her eyes.

A flashback of both Princess Leila and pregnant Leila reoccurs as suit Leila covers her eyes with fingers begin to cover the lens.

 

Bridge- a surge of bright light bursts onscreen showing Leila in flight within a dense nebula with moving camera. 

She flies with weightless abandon, with the ever present sun glaring in the background. Multiple Leilas can be seen in close proximity, all appearing to be moving in a similar course, all in dramatic panic flying closer into the light.

Middle 8- Leila can be seen outside her diner as she exits the front entrance leaving her evening shift.  She looks slight beyond the nearby stop sign to see her boyfriend’s car begin to arrive. Standing reassured that her long hours will be recognized by her lover, she stands with patience. As he begins to accelerate, (la-la-la-la) a 16-wheeler careens through the driver’s side of the vehicle, leaving shrapnel and smolder in its wake. Her fury becomes visible as covers her eyes as fingers begin to cover the lens.

Mid Middle 8- Mid Bridge- Leila sits on the aisle seat of a packed airliner as she feels a violent bump into her arm from turbulence. Waking her from her slight-slumber, she looks up to see a handsome gentleman with dark skin looking down at her with mutual fascination. The plane begins to rock even violently as an electrical pipe bursts causing a chemical explosion in mid-flight (or as an alternative, two planes will collide in mid-air containing Leila and "friend").
(Para-para-paradise) A sudden flare shatters the passenger plane in two, debris and cargo begin to swirl in a chaotic whirlwind as the passengers make their descent.  Leila gains consciousness, visibly harmed with scrapes and bruises, but remains strapped to her chair and losing altitude. She can see the handsome stranger yards away, in free-fall as (guitar rift- oh oh oh oh) the other half of the plane detonates in his vicinity displaying tremendous force and spectacle.  To protect her from the blast and shards of metal, Leila covers her eyes as fingers begin to cover the lens.

Mid Bridge/Instrumental- a surge of bright light bursts showing Leila in flight, in sub-space within a dense nebula. Traveling from one light-source to another  with moving camera. She flies with weightless abandon, with the present sun glaring in the background. Multiple Leilas can be seen in close proximity, all appearing to be moving in a similar course, all in dramatic panic flying closer into the light.

Instrumental- Leila awakens from bed, covered in night-sweat & tears.  She uncovers to reveal a jacket or shirt being clutched with human desperation. The night is not enough for Leila to wane into slumber, the death of a lover keeps her awake and wanting.  She cries again, usually resorting to exhaustion through sorrow.

Outro- a side scrolling pan from Leila’s bed to her bedroom mantle will reveal a framed news clipping showing her boyfriend’s photo and final memorial service information.

…