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The Ballad Of Cleopatra - The Lumineers

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The Ballad Of Cleopatra” is a compilation of five songs morphed into a twenty-four minutes music video with its own philosophical story line. Joining four of their previously published music videos, the American folk rock band The Lumineers, finally put Cleopatra's story - from their second studio album Cleopatra, released on April 8, 2016 - out in the world.

About The Lumineers[edit]

The Lumineers are an American folk rock band founded by Wesley Schultz (lead vocals and guitar) and Jeremiah Fraites (drums and percussion). In 2010, Neyla Pekarek joined the band as cellist and vocalist, however, after eight years with the band (2010 - 2018), she has decided to leave the group to pursue her solo career.[1][2]

At the moment, (29 April, 2019) the band have released two albums on on the American independent label Dualtone Records. First album being Self-Titled and second one being Cleopatra. They have recently released a new song, Gloria, and have announced that there will be a third album coming soon, III.[3]

Some of their most recognized international hit singles are Ho Hey, Stubborn Love, Ophelia, Sleep On The Floor and Cleopatra.

Cleopatra (album)[edit]

Their second album, titled after the main character, and somehow the album's soul, Cleopatra, was released on April 8, 2016. The first single that the band released from this new CD was Ophelia, with its own music video that started to reveal part of Cleopatra's story, on February 5, 2016. With this hit, The Lumineers stayed on the first place of the Triple A chart during 13 weeks. After this great success, the band released Cleopatra (July 7, 2016), Angela (September 13, 2016) and Sleep On The Floor (November 17, 2016), in that order.

The band released these singles with their own respective music videos, teasing the fans with a common story line, but not giving any further information. In addition, these videos were released clearly out of order, but were also clearly connected, being each video a different piece of a bigger yet unclear story. Just how it's happening with the new album, III.[4]

The band left their fans expecting until April 27, 2017, when they released the short film (24 minutes long) that united five of their songs: Ophelia, Cleopatra, Sleep On The Floor, Angela and My Eyes.

About the video compilation[edit]

As previously mentioned, this video compilation gave fans something to talk and conspire about for a very long time, until The Lumineers decided to give the full story.

The meaning of this compilation, as any other song or music video, can be left to every individual's own imagination, as art speaks differently to everyone. Fans made loads of theories that can be read on the YouTube comment sections. However, the band published a video on February 28, 2017, where Wesley Schultz explained the story behind Cleopatra that inspired them into writing this album and making this wholesome music video.

The Story of "Cleopatra", by Wesley Schultz[5][edit]

Wesley Schultz explains how Cleopatra came alive through a three minutes long video. He talks about how his wife's best friend talked to them about this female taxi driver from the republic of Georgia - probably the only female taxi driver in that area -, who seemed to be a woman hardened by life: a strong, tough woman that carries herself.

This woman falls in love at a young age with this guy, and she truly believes he is the one she is going to marry. However, at this same time, her dad passes away unexpectedly, turning her life around. During the mourning of her loss, her boyfriend asks her to marry him, and because of how broken up she is, she does not give him an answer. Being rejected and heartbroken, this guy leaves town and never comes back, leaving her behind. After some time, she notices that, the day he left, he left some moody footprints on her carpet, and, for some reason, she refuses to wash them off. Wesley says this specific detail led him on. “I was very interested in this story. Why does she keep them?

Following this trail, and after talking to this woman, Wesley explains how every verse and every song is like a stage of her life. “It starts as this young optimistic woman who is gonna get married and her life is gonna be amazing, and it kinda evolves and devolves.

Talking about the character's name and album's title, Cleopatra, Wesley argues that, this specific name sort of embodies a concrete idea, it's kind of a certain concept: “when we’re young we feel - I think - a lot of us, like we are destined for something bigger than our small town, or destined for greatness or something”. He later adds, “For this person who ended up feeling like she was late for this, late for that, late for the love of her life, you know, and then she is gonna die alone, I think she started the same way we all start, which is feeling that way. And it doesn’t always go according to that plan.”

Later on this same interview, Wesley talks about how he chatted with this woman and asked her about her life, and how she told him something that really shocked him, which may result familiar to The Lumineers listeners, as it became one of the most iconic quotes from Cleopatra’s lyrics: the best two days of my life were my divorce and when I had my only son.

Referring to his own personal circle, Wesley explains how surprising it was to hear such an opposed statement to what he had heard about other people’s lifes. Reflecting on this specific sentence, on this specific concept, Wesley enlightens his listeners explaining how honoring that statement became a big focus for him during this project: how he felt it was so rare to find someone who had the courage and was able to confront so rawly what their life was really like.

He later adds how this whole idea lead him into imagining how this woman ends up walking into this nursing home, telling a nurse how great she was as a person, as a woman, how she had all of these dreams, how she was taller than the rafters, how she was this force, she was Cleopatra. And right after, this nurse, nods her head and kind of saying - quoting Wesley - “I'm sure you were, because the younger generation is always sorta looking at ourselves and always think that other people, is kinda over and crazy”.

Finally he ends up expressing the idea behind all those concepts that are linked one to another. He talks about how he believes that, the best way to learn from each other and to be able to be open to change, is through telling off stories. “It's not through arguments, not through statistics. Telling stories it's about characters.” Ultimately, Wesley stresses the idea that, what he’s trying to do with this series of songs, is to tell Cleopatra’s story and everything that comes with her, every idea. His intention is to tell this story to the world through his verses.

Official Music Video[6][edit]

This music video, holding a same storyline between five songs, can also be seen as a musical short film, divided in six stages. Directed and written by Isaac Ravishankara, co-written by The Lumineers, this short film is starred by four different Cleopatras: Elise Eberle (age 25), Bethany Toews (age 35), Gwynn Lewis (age 55) and Sis Gold (age 75)

Ophelia[edit]

It all starts off with Ophelia. As an introduction to the main story, being sort of a prologue to the main plot, The Lumineers appear on a stage, performing this song. It’s not only through the lyrics that one can start to guess what one’s about to witness, but also through some visual resources. While Wesley’s singing on stage, he sort of splits - being two Wesleys at the same time -, one staying where he actually is and the other going away: making another choice and contempling what could have been.

This other Wesley leaves the stage and starts living up to his lyrics, dancing through the rainy city. It is interesting to mention the use of the two long secuence dancing shots that last almost the whole song, as a way to energise the video. This first stage of the prequel had already been seen, as it had been already posted (February 11, 2016). However it gives another ending after the sweep, linking it to the main story.

The Taxi[edit]

After Ophelia, Wesley keeps on dancing though the streets at night. He gets into Cleopatra’s (age 55) cab, introducig the main character to the audience. It is through some heartwarming images of a kind conversation, some shots of the main character’s face and expressions, and some details - such as two photographs of her son - that the audience introduces itself into this melancholic atmosphere.

Arriving to his destination, Wesley gets off the cab, and leaves the spectator some alone time with Cleopatra. Using the music video’s title as a time altering resource, Cleopatra’s still in the same place she parked the night before, trying to fix her face, when, a younger version of herself (Cleopatra, age 35) gives Cleopatra a start.

Cleopatra[edit]

Although another version of the main character appears, Cleopatra (age 55) remains the principal character. Being the driver of a taxi, she witnesses many different scenes from different people, which all are somehow connected to her.

Being the whole plot a great metaphor, although the characters from the backseat are directly linked to the story - being mainly Cleopatra at different ages, and having the Stubborn Love cast as special guests - one can assume how she sees her own life, and somehow herself, reflected into strangers. Arriving to the airport, Cleopatra pulls over and exchanges glances with The Lumineers portraying themselves, as she waits to pick up her son. It is when she leaves her son at his place, that the previosuly mentioned visual resource is used once again and not for the last time: Cleopatra splits, leading us to think how she is wondering what could have been of her life if she had chosen a different path.

Sleep On The Floor[edit]

We are once again being left alone with Cleopatra (age 55), which is cleverly overlaped with Cleopatra (age 25), leading us to her part of the story. Cleopatra finds herself into what seems to be her father’s wake. Her boyfriend at the moment, approaches her saying “If we don’t leave now we might never make it out”, being this one of the most iconic verses from these lyrics. Referring the story that inspired this whole plot, through the same splitting-body resource, we follow the choice that she could’ve made but never did: how she leaves with her boyfriend and decides to leave everything behind, getting into Cleopatra’s cab and getting this next song started.

In this fantasy of what could’ve been, Cleopatra and her boyfriend take the road without having a clear destination. However, this video represents the idea that Wesley talks about on his interview: the meaning of Cleopatra. Being young, with loads of possibilities for one to try, believing that one’s destined to be something great, to run away from what one’s always known.

The band appear, once again, at a house party where the young couple ends up unexpectedly getting married. Despite the supposedly happy ending, both the audience and the main character know that this sweet story didn’t really take place, it stayed still as a “could’ve been”. Following this last statement, young Cleopatra, is laying on the floor (Sleep On The Floor) with a concerned expression.

Angela / Patience[edit]

Going back to the plot, Cleopatra (age 25) is driving once again, letting the audience see how she did not actually leave. Using an overlap, Cleopatra (age 35) takes the lead. A pregnant married Cleopatra wakes up next to his husband, giving Angela a start. Through the lyrics and images, one can assume how she feels trapped in this life that she did not see coming. Splitting once again, this altern Cleopatra decides to leave in order to free herself from her own path. Leaving the house where age 55 Cleopatra left her son, we assume that when she could have left, she stayed once again.

After driving for a while, one can assume how this action kind of liberates her, as she changes her concerned expression to a genuine laughter. She later arrives to the motel - with the fully name “The Four Ladies Motel” - where Wesley got off at the ending of Ophelia, and after dancing for a while, celebrating her freedom, Cleopatra checks into the hotel.

After Angela, the instrumental track Patience is cleverly mixed with the ending of the previous song, being used as a link to the next stage of the plot. Cleopatra (age 35) leaves the hotel getting into Cleopatra’s (age 55) cab, leaving her car keys behind as a metaphor of what she left behind.

My Eyes[edit]

The next image we see is Cleopatra (age 55) leaving Cleopatra (age 75) at a nursering home with a nurse that she previously carried in her backseat. The two women wave at each other, and Cleopatra (age 55) glances with an expression of knowing exactly how her life was gonna end up. As she starts her car, My Eyes starts playing, as Cleopatra (age 75) takes the lead.

Being alone in a room - in the same position as she used to be one of her younger poses - through the lyrics and images, which combine the four different stages of her life - her actual life -, we can see the link between them: how it has been the same story all along.

Referring once again to Wesley’s words, during a conversation between the oldest Cleopatra and the nurse, he says “I’m sure it was”, referring to what she told him about her life. With that short sentence, Cleopatra already knows what he means by that, and comprehends also how time has gone by.

Using the splitting technique once again, she gets up from her wheelchair and looks through different items that have been shown through the whole music video, which somehow define her life or her could-have-been's: boxes, maps (road maps) and a journal, a painting of waves - related to her tattoo -, and finally, her necklace, which she ends putting it on.

Walking through the silent and empty nursing home, she sees a nurse picking up a room, as well as what one could identify as an older version of the boyfriend that left, mourning next to his dying father. During this walk, Cleopatra does not longer look concerned: she has accepted who she is, who she has become, she accepts her fate. And it is in one specific moment at the end of the song, that the four women appear, one by one, taking the spotlight in the middle of the hall, moving forward. This specific image, ends up linking everything, making cristal clear how it was her all along, and how she could’ve taken other paths but she didn't, and ended up in that concrete place, accepting what she has become. Finally, oldest Cleopatra looks back to where the four women appeared, as the lights of the nursering home go off, and along with the song, she leaves the nursing home behind: finally leaving life after accepting what her life was really like.

Full Crew and Cast[edit]

Full Crew[edit]

The Ballad Of Cleopatra
Directed By Isaac Ravishankara
Written by Isaac Ravishankara & The Lumineers
Executive Producers Jason Cole & Danielle Hinde
Produced by Jason Cole & Natasha Pierson & Aviv Russ
Director of Photography Kevin Phillips
Production Design Ali Rubinfeld & Ashley Fenton & Megan Fenton
Costume Design Elise Velasco
Colorist Derek Hansen
Sound Designer Danny Madden
Additional Score David Baron
Edited by Isaac Ravishankara
Record Label DUALTONE Records & DECCA Records
Management Onto Entertainment


Ophelia
Producer Aviv Russ
1st Assistant Director Brandeaux Tourville
Choreographer Jillian Meyers
Director of Photography Kevin Phillips
1st Assistant Camera Scott Michael Johnson
Steadicam Ari Robbins, Soc
Gaffer Daniel McNutt
Key Grip Lev Abrahamian
Production Designer Ali Rubinfeld
Set Decorator Grace Alie
Stylist Elise Velasco & Amanda Hall
Hair / Makeup Linda Sammit
Graphic Designer Nicks Sutton Bell
Assistant Editor Dylan Marko Bell
The Taxi
Producer Natasha Pierson
Director of Photography Kevin Phillips
Choreographer Jillian Meyers
Set Decorator Danny Madden
1st Assistant Camera Matt Sanderson
Cleopatra
Producer Natasha Pierson
1st Assistant Director Zachary Wright
Director of Photography Kevin Phillips
1st Assistant Camera Scott Michael Johnson
Gaffer Jeff Webster
Key Grip Lev Abrahamian
Production Designer Ali Rubinfeld
Set Decorator Grace Alie
Stylist Elise Velasco
Hair / Makeup Nikki Parisi
Milwaukee Unit Producer Kurt Raether
Sleep On The Floor
FIRST UNIT (On The Road) Director of Photography Cody Smith
SECOND UNIT (Intro / Outro) Producer Natasha Pierson
1st Assistant Director Zachary Wright
Director of Photography Kevin Phillips
1st Assistant Camera Scott Michael Johnson
Gaffer Jeff Webster
Key Grip Lev Abrahamian
Production Designer Ali Rubinfeld
Set Decorator Grace Alie
Stylist Nikki Parisi
THIRD UNIT (Denver) Local Unit Producer Jessica Trimarco at Lumenati
Director of Photography Cody Smith
3rd Unit Director Asher Brown
Angela
FIRST UNIT (Narrative / Los Angeles) Producer Natasha Pierson
1st Assistant Director Zachary Wright
Director of Photography Kevin Phillips
1st Assistant Camera Scott Michael Johnson
Gaffer Jeff Webster
Key Grip Lev Abrahamian
Production Designer Ali Rubinfeld
Set Decorator Grace Alie
Stylist Elise
Hair / Makeup Nikki Parisi
Choreographer Jillian Meyers
SECOND UNIT (Performance / Denver) Local Unit Producer Jessica Trimarco at Lumenati
Director of Photography Cody Smith
2rd Unit Director Asher Brown
Additional VFX Zak Stoltz
My Eyes
Producer Aviv Russ
1st Assistant Director Chad Nicholson
Director of Photography Kevin Phillips
1st Assistant Camera Steven Taylor Weir
Gaffer Zack Dalton
Key Grip Lev Abrahamian
Production Designer Ashley Fenton & Megan Fenton
Stylist Elise Velasco & Amanda Hall
Hair / Makeup Erin Walters

Full Cast[edit]

Role Portrayed by
Ophelia Themselves The Lumineers
The Taxi Cleopatra, Age 55 Gwynn Lewis
Himself Wesley Shultz
Cleopatra Cleopatra, Age 55 Gwynn Lewis
Cleopatra, Age 35 Bethany Toews
Stubborn Daughter Talula Paulson
Stubborn Mother Beth Lepley
Anthony Adam Lively
Cleopatra, Age 25 Elise Eberle
Broken Hearted Man Dylan Marko Bell
Alex John Bubniak
Julius Ben Harjo
Sleep On The Floor Cleopatra, Age 25 Elise Eberle
Anthony Adam Lively
Cleopatra, Age 55 Gwynn Lewis
Used Car Guy Paul Prado
Friend In Vegas Gary Colombo
Gas Savior David Strackany
Savior's Daughter Viva Strackany
UFO Believer Levi Martinez
Friend In Denver Stelth Ulvang
House Host Jason Haas-Hecker
House Band The Lumineers
Angela Cleopatra, Age 35 Bethany Toews
Julius Ben Harjo
House Band The Lumineers
Cleopatra, Age 25 Elise Eberle
Anthony Adam Lively
Desk Clerk Rajiv Khilnani
Cleopatra, Age 55 Gwynn Lewis
My Eyes Cleopatra, Age 75 Sis Gold
Cleopatra, Age 55 Gwynn Lewis
Male Nurse Lee Coc
Female Nurse Jillian Meyers
Mourning Son Matty Collins
Sick Father Evan Roberts
Cleopatra, Age 25 Elise Eberle
Cleopatra, Age 35 Bethany Toews

Special Thanks To[edit]

David Meinert, Christen Greene, Grant Hathaway, Peggy Blair, Holli Sullivan, Jeff Mortensen, Abe Abraham, Jasmine McGlade, Susanna Kearny, Jason Haas-Hecker, Stelth Ulvang, Jason Baum, Bridie Monds-Watson, James Byrne, Paul Fladten, Ar Ravishankara, Rochelle Ravishankara and everyone else who worked on any of the pieces of this project.

References[edit]

  1. "The Lumineers Announce the Exit of Cellist Neyla Pekarek". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-06-05.
  2. Lumineers, The (2018-10-18). "A band is like an organism- it grows, changes & evolves. These changes aren't easy but are an unavoidable part of life. After writing, recording & touring the past eight years, Neyla has decided to leave the Lumineers to pursue her solo career. We wish her nothing but the best.pic.twitter.com/BFU7KX0uoB". @thelumineers. Retrieved 2019-06-05.
  3. Lumineers, The (2019-04-02). "We have a new album coming out later this year. The first single will be 'Gloria' and you can listen to it this Friday! - The Lumineers https://TheLumineers.lnk.to/GloriaSpotifyTW pic.twitter.com/OTKDhxZG6G". @thelumineers. Retrieved 2019-06-05. External link in |title= (help)
  4. Lumineers, The (2019-05-17). "The Story Begins. #GloriaSparks https://thelumineers.lnk.to/GloriaSparks pic.twitter.com/tQCUHlTxZp". @thelumineers. Retrieved 2019-06-05. External link in |title= (help)
  5. The Lumineers (2017-02-28), The Story of Cleopatra, retrieved 2019-06-05
  6. LumineersVEVO (2017-04-27), The Lumineers - The Ballad Of Cleopatra, retrieved 2019-06-05

The Ballad of Cleopatra - The Lumineers[edit]


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