Nov. 12, 2022 marked one year since the release of Taylor Swift’s groundbreaking short film “All Too Well” starring Dylan O’Brien and Sadie Sink. The video was posted to Youtube on Swift’s Channel and now stands with over 79 million views and 4.4 million likes. It recently took headlines by storm with the win of four awards (MTV for Video of the Year, Best Direction, Best Video, and an AMA for Favorite Music Video) and fans are still raving about the heart touching visuals.
The film was a visual representation of Swift’s rocky relationship with an older man, later rumored to be Jake Gyllenhaal who was 28 when he dated Swift, who was a mere 19. The mess and ultimate devastation of the relationship was pictured in both the film and lyrics of the soundtrack. Sink’s character is a young teenager, eager for the love and heart of her partner, O’Brien, whose initial positive mood towards the relationship begins to plummet. Sink’s constant attempts to revive the relationship end up failing, as O’Brien’s fluctuating mood prevails.
Although Swift has never confirmed the rumors, fans have pieced together the possible upbringing of both the song and the short film to originate from her failed, three month relationship with Gyllenhaal. In the song, she mentions the age gap between herself and her partner with the lyrics, “You said if we had been closer in age maybe it would’ve been fine.” This lyric, and the line “It’s supposed to be fun, turning 21,” took a jab at Gyllenhaal and how the significant age difference as well as the sudden break up of the two affected Swift.
Gyllenhaal and Swift’s relationship took place over a three month period starting in October, which was boldly represented by autumn tones: warm oranges, soft browns and light yellows. Throughout the film, the color palette changes according to the mood and interactions for the specific scene. During a heated fight, the background colors shift to dark blues and blacks. Sink features a bright red lip to signify heated emotion and frustration with O’Brien as well as a black turtleneck to represent the gloominess and lack of direction she experiences within her relationship. This pattern of carefully articulated color choices helped tie the beauty of the film together.
Despite the melancholic mood of Swift’s short film, it has allowed for a reminder to many that no one is alone in their journey through a tough time. She found a way to become victorious in a doubtful situation. Congrats, Taylor!
Written by Naima Cho-Khaliq of Thomas S. Wootton High School
Photo courtesy of Evan Agostini