To be fair, Beyoncé's visual for Lemonade is more a film than a music video. Over 65 minutes, the viewer is presented with poetic prose that details the heartbreak and failings of a troubled relationship. With a gang of accomplished directors and cinematographers, the film is divided into 11 chapters – "Intuition," "Denial," "Anger," "Apathy," "Emptiness," "Accountability," "Reformation," "Forgiveness," "Resurrection," "Hope" and "Redemption" — woven together by way of Warsan Shire's poetry. This is the most personal and revealing piece of work Beyoncé's ever created, but what gives it its lasting effect is the beautiful imagery and symbolism throughout. One moment, we are bombarded with stories of infidelity and the anger that comes along with it; the next, we celebrate motherhood with Beyoncé as we watch her daughter, Blue Ivy, strike a pose in the middle of a narrow hallway. Heartbreak is the theme throughout Lemonade's narrative, but the growth and self-knowledge that result from heartbreak are what sticks with you afterward.
Directed by Khalil Joseph, Melina Matsoukas, Dikayl Rimmasch, Todd Tourso, Jonas Akerlund, Mark Romanek and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter.
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