A Star Is Born's Deeper Message: Don't Be "Shallow" 

We're super excited to announce that we're collaborating with Entertainment Weekly to bring you six (6!) videos for this year's Oscars, unpacking the major nominees' themes, symbols and more. Let's start with A Star Is Born. Support The Take on Patreon: www.patreon.com/thetake Subscribe to keep up with our latest videos, and let us know what you want to see next!

After jack committed suicide I remember my dad walked out of the theater. Cause he had a friend who was a drug addict who eventually killed himself, and the scene got to him. And he’s not a very sensitive man.

1:33 A Star is Born. Don't be 'Shallow'. 7:49 Intimacy on screen. Subjective cinematography. 14:32 Acting through music. Nice vid, I loved it.

Bradley Cooper deserved an Oscar nomination for directing

Never stop making these videos. Your voice is important.

Bradley has dealt with alchohol addiction in the past.He could basically feel the character and it added to his wonderful direction

This channel always manages to sway me when it comes to agreeing with your videos. Until now, I never really saw "Shallow" as a metaphor for Ally and Jack's circumstances at the beginning and the end of the film, but now that I've thought about it further, I agree that it really fits. Sometimes, you just need to "take the plunge" into the uncertain body of water. While you're not sure if the water will be shallow or deep, freezing or warm once you're submerged in it, it might help to take a dive regardless. This theme is beautifully bookended throughout the movie, with Ally performing her solo song for Jack, an adoring audience of one, to when she begins to find fame in front of a large crowd, and then again once she finds as balance between her shy and flashy personas.🌟

I love how the story is similar to gaga's. She started with simple pop and elevated herself to what she is today which is closer to her true self!

I have admiration for Lady Gaga's talent but I enjoy her singing way more when she's just Stefany Germanotta I remember when "Gaga" sang a tribute to Julie Andrews at the Oscars and Andrews response a classy, "Thank you so much, Stefani." Sort of like when John Lennon sat down to talk with Mick Jagger for TV and his reponse started with, "Well, Michael...".

I bloody cried even watching this video

Bradley Cooper was ROBBED of that Best Director nomination.

This analysis makes me feel the same emotions as the movie did. It even made me cry. Wonderful video essay from you guys! And insightful as always.

It's always awesome to hear you talk about story themes, but it's another level of cool to hear you get technical and examine things like cinematography. Great stuff. Ally's manager sucked, btw.

Can you lovely ladies please do a video or two about Netflix's new series YOU , a lot of people are dangerously not getting the message of this show...

In short, this version seems to differ from the others in that it's functionally an opera. One cannot separate the music from the acting and the story than one can separate muscle from bone and skin with your bare hands.

I’m crying all over again

Please do “The Favourite”!

I watched it for the first time last night, i felt the raw pain as Jackson went through his addiction. I cried hard.

This is the best movie EVER and I am 74 yeas old. Lady Gaga (which I never really liked) I love her now as she is an amazing young super young lady and singer along with Bradley Cooper. Love you two so very much. Hugs to you two super young people. xoxox

i’m the type to love rewatching my favorite movies, but there have only been 2 movies where i can’t rewatch it at all bc the movie as a whole was literal art and i felt every single emotion the protagonist felt, like i was a part of them. those 2 movies would be train to busan and the latest a star is born.

06:58 I'm not sure if the reason he ends his career/life is because of him being unable to handle his emotions. He had just started facing up to his mistakes. Part of his motivations in killing himself is misplaced guilt.

I cried watching this movie in the theater. I cried when I watched it at home. I cried just watching this vid. Dang this movie is powerful.

This duet gave me the same amount of adrenaline rush and euphoria as when Joe Jonas joined Demi Lovato in that stage in Camp Rock for 'This is Me', only, yknow, with considerably more tears

This was such a beautiful analysis and everything that was mentioned was exactly how I felt watching the movie 😭 thank you

Wow I even cried during this video :D I really did not expect this movie to be so raw and heartfelt but .. it really is. And I love how you brought emphasis to the great cinematography and lighting, too!!!

And here I thought it was a message about addiction. How addiction destroys lives and potential. It's been meaningful to generation after generation because millions of women could RELATE. not because it told people not to be shallow, but because it showed women their own lives, the way they looked to a man as her future... And then the drugs or alcohol destroy him before her eyes...

the final scenes gave me real chills all over. i've never felt this way at the movies before. everything seemed so real and it was truly heartbreaking - even though i've already known that jack would kill himself.

It's impossible to not get totally enthralled in you're videos. You are video essay geniuses

The "Deeper" message is don't be "Shallow", you did that on purpose, didn't you?

As both a musician and a dancer, I feel very touched by this video analysis and I should really watch this movie. Connection in dancing and on stage while performing music is the most intense. Basically stage is an intensified version of Life and I totally understand that some stars can't deal with how pale the normal world can feel in comparison. Stage is high, bright, crazily intense and... addictive.

As I couldn't love this movie more. Thanks, the Take.

I first read the thumbnail as “Go deep and don’t swallow”

Absolutely LOVED this movie. 1000 times better than the previous versions!

Please do “If Beale Street Could Talk”! 💛

You guys are amazing! I admire the dedication you all obviously put into your work. It is so refreshing. Keep it up!

I'm bawling up at work watching an analysis video. You guys did a good job.

gr8 work ladies I saw this movie and it literally changed my life and what I thought about Gaga. WOW she is so talented and Cooper built this movie around her strengths. I watched all the old versions (to confirm just how good this movie really is) but of course they were all poorly acted and lacked relatable emotional connection (very superficial performances which lacked propensity and depth). Cooper still has >25yrs of creativity ahead and if here gets even close to this debut movie's depth he certainly is not going to be shallow. As for Gaga, she has already "made it" not only as an international entertainment superstar but now adds "accomplished actor" to her resume.

This channel is gold

I think The Take by ScreenPrism is my new favorite RU-vid channel. These videos are superb!

Really enjoyed this a analysis. Totally agree. Have seen all versions many times, but this new one hit me the most emotionally. Kudos.

This was beautiful movie and it actually had me crying towards the end of it. Lady Gaga is just so talented in many different ways...hope to see more of her in movies as she did an amazing job!

Enjoyed this lady’s narrative of the facts, could understand her and she put some exclamation behind it , could watch video without struggling to understand robotic voice and mispronunciations thks well done,

Wow,excellent analysis of the movie. Great job ladies!

thank you for the captions!

Wow!!..just wow!!...Bradley is so creative!!

I appreciated lady Gaga even more after hearing her songs like 'shallow',I'll never love again and always remember us this way..her vocal quality is gorgeous!❤she's more than just a singer having outrageous kind of production numbers at concerts,she can play piano write meaningful songs,can even act in a camera!!lady Gaga is like a precioUs jewel,that should be given such great care!!

Bruh y’all got me crying again

You should also do First Reformed, Mandy, Shoplifters, You Were Never Really Here, and Leave No Trace! Such beautiful films with a lot to say!

This video is so well done!!!

Oh, yeah!!! Great analysis, thanx girls for keeping away from the shallow end of movies.... LovU!!!

Great analysis of this film. I loved the film and almost always adore your videos. :)

Easily one of my favourite films of all time. I’m glad it means so much to other people as it does to me

Excellent excellent analysis

Is it crazy to think that I woke up this morning wondering if The Take was going to make another A Star is Born video and I go on RU-vid and there it is. Crazy

Do an analysis on LOST,it has a lot of material.

Amazing video!

Brilliant film yet heart breaking in the end

Thank you!

You guys that was beautiful 🤩 I almost teared up he really makes great movies.☝️🙏😁💫✋🦾🔥

This didn't appear in my subscription box!

EXCELLENT. Now I must see it

I just love gaga so much, this movie actually is my favorite movie.

Another great vid girls.. keep it up

best review i've seen

Hey there the Take! First off congratulations on your Entertainment Weekly collaboration that’s pretty cool. Secondly I was wondering is there some master list of your episodes. Specifically I’m wondering if I can get a look at the credits to see which narrator voiced which episode. Cause I know Susannah did them for a while and then the job was taken over by Grace Langstaff and if I recall correctly on occasion one Alani waters narrated the videos. I’m asking because I find the speaking voices of your narrators delightful and they were certainly a contributing factor in my decision to subscribe to you. Accordingly I’d love to see who narrated which episodes. Thanks you!

You've convinced me to give this movie a go! Thanks!!

what an excellent video!

The reason why this movie charge people so deeply. Was because in all actuality they were not acting. So when they were singing together and looking into each other's eyes they weren't acting they really love each other. That's why the movie seemed so authentic to so many people. As a star was born another star died so the other star get brighter. That would be called a selfless Act. In what way in the beginning Ali was in the shallow Bradley Cooper was in the deep end way way too deep for him to handle it. I do like your version l very much. I think the real story , is that they really are in love with each other.

Brilliant! ❤❤❤

This movie is good and so beautiful. One of the best movies I watched. I'm going to watch this movie for like the third time now but with my boyfriend.

I try to be a person to come along and tell people how amazing they are and try to help them with their lives so far only works with online motivation in real life it’s pretty hard, (Ofcourse).

I am not crying you are.

It takes Balls to show your true self to the world

Omg thanks for the explanation now I understand love this movie even more❤️. 🎶“We’re far from the shallow now”

I want to tell you guys that I love your videos, and there are a lot of Chinese like your videos, but we can't use RU-vid in China, so we transport them to one of the webs like RU-vid. I hope you can start your own channel in BILIBILI, which is a Chinese website so you can be surprised by the large group of unknown fans.

Masterpiece

My favorite film of 2018.

I'm not crying. You are crying!

Also do my favorite films of 2018 Roma and The Favourite! Do all the best picture nominees in fact!

I wasn't sure if I should watch this movie with it being something like the fourth or fifth remake of this movie. But it sounds amazing.

Wao, this is an amazing video about an amazing movie

I was reduced to a goddamn quivering mess of tears at the end of the film.

Yasss Gaga

When she says we "see him as just Jack," I couldn't help but picture Jack from Will & Grace for the rest of the video, lol. Still, well done!

I love this channel and all of your videos and insight, but I am consistently astounded by how much people loved this flick. It has soooooo many writing and editing problems. But hey, Lady GaGa sure can write a good tune.

Damn... the thing you guys said about the end of the movie, about being that vulnurable was the trully begging for ally, MAN.. great point made, thank you

Wonderful, girls!! Also, I would like to point out Lady Gaga also mentioned to Stephen Colbert that we live in shallow times, and we long for that depth and honesty. Being dowsed forcefully in mind-numbing entertainment like the Kardashians, reality tv turned nightmare that is Trump, you can tell real, talented people are actually making it a point to react to this and make a shift, imploring people to go deeper. The song deserves its accolades and widespread popularity because of this.

Please do something about some Lost character!

I wonder what Barbara Stanwyck thought about the previous three "A Star is Born" movies (four if you add the one with another name) that borrowed so much from her and her husband's life.

this is fantastic!

I want to watch a movie about a sensitive painter, like how loving vincent did it

Can you do about the message of the live action Aladdin?

Why did I never realize he pissed himself😢 I thought he was just intoxicated and passed out on stage aw

Another hard truth is that you can dig deep, become a great artist, and still fail. But you have to keep finding the courage to continue.

Go deep Don’t swallow

I really didn't like this movie, but after this I need to go and watch it again.

What I found interesting is that unlike the older versions it's when she no longer has her creative agency the narrative turns against her, she's pushed by Cooper's character the majority of the film to go into music and it's when she begins to exercise her control over her career she's considered a "sell out".

It's such a simple movie, really, filled with plenty of clichés and toxic notions on what constitutes "love." The codependency, the control and manipulation-- so what if she wanted to be a pop star? She's allowed to change her mind, she's allowed to explore her artistry and make her own choices. He threw a giant tantrum because she was no longer what he wanted her to be. It's almost like he didn't love her at all, but rather the idea of her, what she represented. Something to ~save~, something to conceal his own avoidance, drinking, and dependency needs. That said.... the movie wrecked me. I felt all of it. I loved their chemistry and desperately wanted them to overcome the predictable, inevitable, tragic downfall they were headed for. Just once, I'd like to see Hollywood portray a "success" story for an addict. It doesn't always have to end in tragedy.

❤🌹

I found the suicide too depressing. Couldn't watch the movie again...much less pick a more positive outlook. I can say though, it was very emotional. The heart was there