There are music videos, and there are music videos, you know? Nine Inch Nails’ video for Closer, directed by Mark Romanek, is one of those ones that feels like it earns the italics, an ambitious piece of complex, controversial art that frequently tops lists of the best music ever made and somehow adds to the song that inspired it. Even Trent Reznor, the man who wrote and sang it said, "The rarest of things occurred: where the song sounded better to me, seeing it with the video. And it's my song."
It’s a pretty NSFW experience, something Trent and Mark agreed not to compromise on beforehand.
“Trent said, 'Fuck it, let’s not do two versions, let’s do our version, and if MTV won’t show it, fuck MTV,'” recalls Mark.
Let's have a look at it to refresh our memories, shall we?