Madonna's 'Like a Prayer' music video

Madonna's, 'Like a Prayer' music video clearly follows the main theme of religion, and the focus is mainly on that of religion in black culture, and of Roman catholicism. There are also themes of racism in America.



The narative follows the protagonist Madonna, who appears to be talking to an image of a black jesus. This image is seen by the audience through their oppositional reading as this figure was intended to be seen as the patron saint of mixed raced people. However, the image of a black Jesus was far more dominant than the intended reading. This suggests that maybe Madonna was being deliberately controversial in making this video. The image induces her to enter a dream like state. This is shown through the lyrics and supported by the cinematography. For example, the lyrics are 'It's like a dream, no end and no beginning/ You're here with me, it's like a dream' and as she lies on the ground, the lyrics are, 'I close my eyes', which is when the camera cuts to show her floating through the sky.

As Madonna ask's the lord for help, the black figure of Jesus comes to life, as if answering her prayer, which further enhances the religious theme in the video. Also, the fact that this wax figure has come to life suggests a kind of miracle happening. Furthermore, this is enhanced as she picks up a dagger and grasps it, which leaves stigmata upon her hands, as if she has been nailed to a cross.

We see why she needed help as the camera shows a gang of men acting as the villains attacking a woman, who is the victim, and stabbing her in the side.

This is another religious idea as Jesus was stabbed in the side by the Romans. The narrative progresses to show the black man that came to life previously, coming to help the girl being attacked. As the attackers run, a police car arrives and the headlights shine on the man who is holding the girls head, checking to see if she is okay. The camera cuts to show the man pinned against the wall being handcuffed.

This is following the idea that there is racism in America, assuming that this man was the one who attacked the woman. It is also something that is still a problem in todays society with police brutality against people of opposite ethnicity holding extreme relevance. The fact that the audience know that the man is innocent and is simply trying to help the girl subverts the stereotype that some people have, saying that black people commit more crime than white people.

The lyrics further develop the story as she next sings, 'Life is a mystery', which is Madonna asking the question of why do black people get discriminated by white people? During this part of the song and video, we see her singing and dancing infront of burning crosses, which suggest further racist elements to the music video as KKK (Klu Klux Klan) members often set great wooden crosses alight at their meetings.


Due to the problems of the time that this song was released (1989), this video would have been highly controversial. This was because there were still many white supremacist groups in the American south, and images such as a black Jesus, and a black man being made to look better than a group of white men would have sparked outrage among these groups. Therefore, Madonna's target audience will have been to her pre-existing fans, obviously, and to people with open minds and a modern way of thinking, ready to listen to the message that she is trying to get across.

The video shows her to be organic as she has been styled in a way that is very much keeping up with the current fashion of the time. For example, the low cut around her breasts, and the bra and dress strap hanging loosely on her arm. This has led her to become a sort of fashion icon, with copies of the dress selling on fancy dress websites.

Madonna's star image is one that is very sexualised, with provocative clothing and sexual connotations in her lyrics, such as, 'In the midnight hour I can feel your power', and 'I'm down on my knees'. In the video specifically, there is much focus on her breasts, for example;

The rest of the narrative follows a gospel choir singing the song with her, and there is a theatrical sense added to the video with the use of stage curtains and text reading 'The End'. This shows the audience that this is just a performance, and that she is just a star and artist singing her song.