Synopsis

Elton John performs the defiant pop anthem along the French Riviera, surrounded by dancers, colorful costumes, beachside crowds, and bright graphic effects. The video moves between Cannes and Nice, using the Carlton Hotel, its beach, the Promenade des Anglais, and the Hotel Negresco as backdrops. Elton drives, dances, and struts through the holiday atmosphere while the choreography and bold visuals turn the song's message of survival and independence into a flamboyant celebration.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was filmed in June 1983 on France's Cote d'Azur, principally in Cannes and Nice.

• Locations included the Carlton Hotel in Cannes, its beach, and the Hotel Negresco in Nice. Some of the nighttime material was filmed at the Negresco around 3:00 a.m.

• The production was shot on 16mm film. During filming, a camera containing footage from the first day was accidentally lost when it went into the sea, forcing the crew to repeat parts of the shoot.

• Choreographer Arlene Phillips created the routines. Bruno Tonioli, who later became a television dance-show judge, appears among the dancers.

• The video was made alongside the promo for "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues." The same demanding schedule involved shooting both videos in France and England within a short period.

• In 2019, the original footage was digitally restored in 4K. The restoration involved rebuilding the edit, recreating the graphics, removing film damage, and regrading the picture.

• Footage from the original 16mm rushes was used for the closing sequence of the 2019 biopic "Rocketman," with Taron Egerton digitally rotoscoped into the imagery.