Synopsis

INXS perform against a barrage of disturbing images drawn from war, terrorism, famine, pollution and political violence. Television screens, news footage and rapidly edited scenes create a world overwhelmed by destruction and suffering. The band appears to break through the broadcast itself, confronting the viewer rather than simply observing the images. The video's angry, confrontational style mirrors the song's industrial rock mood and presents mass-media violence as something society has become disturbingly accustomed to seeing.

Factoids & Trivia

• "The Gift" was the first single from INXS's ninth studio album, "Full Moon, Dirty Hearts," released in 1993.

• The song was written by Michael Hutchence, Kirk Pengilly and Jon Farriss.

• The video's imagery includes archival material connected with the Holocaust and the Gulf War, alongside scenes addressing famine, pollution and terrorism.

• Its use of graphic historical and wartime footage reportedly led MTV to ban the video.

• The clip was part of the visual album project accompanying "Full Moon, Dirty Hearts," which was issued in 1994.

• "The Gift" was later included in the compilation "INXS: The Great Video Experience."

• The video's six-minute presentation is considerably longer than the song's roughly four-minute running time, allowing its collage of news and documentary images to function as a more extended visual statement.