Synopsis

Presented like a lost and forbidden silent-film epic, the video follows a grim ritual staged by a satanic-looking cult. Figures in archaic costumes gather in a stark, shadowy landscape as a mysterious woman and a baby become part of the ceremony. Religious imagery, violent gestures, strange processions and theatrical close-ups create an atmosphere of pagan devotion and impending sacrifice. The monochrome photography, distressed textures and flickering projection style make the two-and-a-half-minute clip feel like a corrupted biblical film recovered from another era.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was released in October 2010 and promotes "Guns and Dogs," a track from Portugal. The Man's 2009 album *The Satanic Satanist*.

• Its visual language draws on the grand scale of Cecil B. DeMille's biblical films, the occult imagery associated with Kenneth Anger and the dramatic lighting of Caravaggio.

• The production was intentionally designed to resemble an old, damaged film rather than a conventional contemporary music video. Matte paintings, layered textures and extensive visual effects were used to build the look.

• The finished footage was rescanned frame by frame from a projector with a Lensbaby lens, helping create the unstable appearance of an aged theatrical print.

• The post-production process took several months. It was also the first time the project's filmmaker had handled both the directing and the visual-effects work on a production.

• Portugal. The Man frontman John Gourley handled the costume design. Traci Eggleston, associated with Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band, appears as the Virgin Goddess, while Caspian Oliver Thompson is credited as the baby.

• The band reportedly gave the production team considerable time to develop the heavily processed visual style, allowing the clip to function more like a miniature art film than a performance piece.