This is one of my favorite music videos of all time, along with Madonna's "Bedtime Story" and "Closer" by Nine Inch Nails, both directed by Mark Romanek. And while those two videos are fairly impressive even today, "Losing My Religion" predates both, being quite ahead of its time.
Say what you want about Tarsem Singh movies, but one simply can't deny that even his most forgettable work have at least some memorable and beautifully done imagery (Hey, while I don't like "The Cell" or "Immortals" that much, at least I will have to admit that both movies look great) This music video isn't the exception: Apparently Singh wanted this video to be "melodramatic and very dreamlike" and the final result is quite dreamlike indeed, with an excellent use of many different religious motifs, while also taking some visual influence from classical art and foreign cinema.
I'm not sure if "Losing My Religion" is the best R.E.M. song (It is one my favorites, that's for sure) but this is definitely their best music video, and also it is one the best things Tarsem Singh has ever done on his entire filmic career.
Say what you want about Tarsem Singh movies, but one simply can't deny that even his most forgettable work have at least some memorable and beautifully done imagery (Hey, while I don't like "The Cell" or "Immortals" that much, at least I will have to admit that both movies look great) This music video isn't the exception: Apparently Singh wanted this video to be "melodramatic and very dreamlike" and the final result is quite dreamlike indeed, with an excellent use of many different religious motifs, while also taking some visual influence from classical art and foreign cinema.
I'm not sure if "Losing My Religion" is the best R.E.M. song (It is one my favorites, that's for sure) but this is definitely their best music video, and also it is one the best things Tarsem Singh has ever done on his entire filmic career.