Megaforce are not exactly strangers to controversy. But the French directing team’s video for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Sacrilege is a different story from, say, the comic grossness of Is Tropical’s The Greeks. This is very dark indeed.
In the video we witness the life of a highly promiscuous girl, played by Lily Cole, and her appalling death (together with one of her lovers) at the hands of a vengeful small town American community. And it’s told in reverse.
Like a Jim Thompson novel directed by David Lynch, with a touch of Gaspar Noé’s Irreversible, it strikes like a bowling ball. And you can put that down to the quality of the performances, the skill of the direction, and the fact it’s still a proper showcase for the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s searing song. Brilliant – just arguably one of the most disturbing music videos ever made.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Sacrilege
Directors: Megaforce
UK rep: Riff Raff Films