A famous director once said a movie is simply a “succession of images juxtaposed so that the contrast between these images moves the story forward in the mind of the audience.”

Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright” video starts with a succession of bleak images that become ominous as you hear him scream. Soon a cop shoots a bullet, and then we see Black Hippy, sitting in a car carried by policemen. As the video progresses, things get happier—Kendrick flies off the ground, the city comes out to support him, black kids dance with absurd flexibility. But at his peak, K. Dot is shot by a cop. The elation that fills most of the video falls away as Kendrick falls to the ground, and we cut to black. All seems lost… until he flashes a smile. There is hope yet. We gon’ be alright.