“The Fate of Ophelia” music video
Worn On: 10/5/25 // the fate of ophelia
the commentary
I had the pleasure of watching the premiere of Taylor’s music video on the big screen via The Release Party of a Showgirl film. I found the theatre acted as an excellent vehicle for viewing the video almost as a movie. Having had mixed feelings about some of Taylor’s directorial efforts, I felt this was perhaps her strongest piece of work yet (with the exception of the “All Too Well” short film). Perhaps it’s because I saw it as truly being rooted in The Life of a Showgirl’s world. Without re-records at play, I could enjoy the video for what it was meant to function as: Compelling visuals in support of a specific body of work. This one! It was a relief to get to enjoy Taylor’s vision of translating the showgirl concept, applying the idea to different decades and theatrical mediums. It reminded me of my recent newsletter in which I observed how Taylor has always had the essence of a showgirl’s grit, determination, and love of a sparkling on stage moment throughout the many stages of her career.
In this set up, Taylor pays homage to Busby Berkeley’s elaborate showgirl choreography. In the Release Party film, Taylor noted the synchronized swimming theme and lifesavers is a reference to the character in Hamlet, from which the song derives its plot-rewrite, who dies from drowning. “These would have saved her,” she humorously deadpans in the movie.
the clothes
* Not available for purchaseFeature Photo by TAS Rights Management