arianagrandre:

Billboard’s 100 Greatest Music Videos of the 21st Century – #51

National Anthem (2012) dir. Anthony Mandler

All of Lana Del Rey’s music videos are cinematic – it’s kind of her thing – but “National Anthem” has a movie-quality plot to boot. Del Rey stars first as Marilyn Monroe in a reimagined staging of the icon’s 1962 performance of “Happy Birthday, Mr. President,” then as Jackie Kennedy alongside A$AP Rocky’s suave, handsy JFK. Through Del Rey’s eyes, we see familial scenes unfold between one of the most fascinating couples in American history, culminating in a re-enactment of the Kennedy assassination. When Del Rey’s castle crumbles, you feel it in your chest, too, and her monologue at the end never fails to bring chills.