The video for David Bowie's new single "The Next Day" opens with Gary Oldman portraying a priest and punching a destitute man in the face.
After Goldman levels the beggar, he enters a church brothel where Bowie sings from the stage as a Christ figure. Marion Cottilard's character is revealed as a stigmata when blood begins to poor from holes in her hands, spouting at dancefloor inhabitants mesmerized by Bowie.
The video proves that even after decades in the music business, Bowie hasn't lost his edge. "The Next Day" is the title track from Bowie's March album release. The video, directed by Floria Sigismundi ("The Runaways") is the third for the album. Bowie enlisted actress Tilda Swinton for the "The Stars (Are Out Tonight.)"
And this is not Bowie's first rodeo as a portraying biblical characters. Bowie was cast as Pontius Pilate in the 1988 production of "The Last Temptation of Christ." Aside from videos, he's no stranger to the screen either, being featured in documentaries and films such as "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars: The Motion Picture."
"The Next Day" album is the first new material Bowie has released in 10 years, since 2003's "Reality." Artistically, Bowie does what he wants. He broke on to the charts in 1969 with "Space Oddity." Notable releases continued with the "The Man Who Sold the World" and the iconic "Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars."
Bowie's artistic genius has been the subject of many critical and historical writing pieces on music. His work and has influenced a magnitude of musicians since he came on to the scene more than 40 years ago.
