The response to the song’s 10-minute version has been momentous enough — the heart wrenching breakup song shot to the top of the Spotify charts upon its release — but the accompanying short film is equally impressive.
The film begins with Her asking Him, “Are you real?” — a question that follows viewers throughout, effectively framing the story without revealing its theme in an overtly obvious way.
Without context, the action could be perceived as innocent — hidden in the magical nature of the scenes, it’s easy to miss — but considering that He is several years Her senior, the moment is significant.
The couple is joined by several of His friends, all of whom are older than Her; he callously drops Her hand at the table and leaves Her out of the conversation.
From the dinner party Swift jumps forward — or possibly backward — to a moment in the woods when He tosses the car keys at Her to take a phone call in rage.
In this emotionally wrought fight scene, all elements of the film coincide in a climactic moment — the coldly lit kitchen, the distance between the lovers in shots, the camera moving back and forth between them in suspense.
This question is answered in “The Breaking Point,” where His power — hovering over Her as He ends the relationship — shifts to Her, as she stands up and scolds Him as if He were Her child.
The actor switch shows that She has matured physically with time, and emotionally too — having produced a successful creative work as the result of her pain.