videoDepeche Mode 'Ghosts Again' by Anton CorbijnAnd then there were two. Depeche Mode's return following the death of bandmember Andrew Fletcher last year is particularly emotional for their famously devoted fans. For such an important moment Anton Corbijn's video for Ghosts Again could not be more appropriate.For a song at the poppier end of the band's range - like their early stuff - Corbijn references his own classic work with the band, that mix of symbolism and iconography to bring another element to that unmistakeable photographic look. At the same time, Corbijn does not shy away from the fact that the remaining bandmembers, Dave Gahan and Martin Gore, are now older men. Just as the song reflects on mortality, their faces now display their age, all the years of experience emphasised - again echoing Corbijn's greatest photographs of music icons like Miles Davis and Johnny Cash. Beyond the simple, symbolic and very cinematic device of the chess match that nods to The Seventh Seal, this is really all about those faces. It pays homage to the band and to emotion felt by their fans. A great addition to one of the great collaborations between artist and director in music videos.
David Knight - 16th Feb 2023