Synopsis

Duran Duran perform amid a glossy, retro-styled setting that recalls a bumper-car arena, while a parallel story follows China, a rebellious young woman caught between desire, danger, and a rough-edged biker crowd. The band's performance footage is intercut with images of China posing around cars, wandering through sunlit locations, and moving through a world of flirtation and confrontation. As jealousy escalates, the song's romance turns violent, ending with a beating that leaves China seemingly indifferent to the consequences.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was filmed in France, with Paris associated with the production.

• Its visual style was described by Nick Rhodes as having a tacky 1960s dance-hall feel, mixing retro Americana, pinup imagery, cars, and biker-gang styling.

• The performance footage was shot on a constructed set designed to resemble a bumper-car rig.

• The storyline is a relatively direct visual interpretation of the song's lyrics, which center on China, sexual attraction, jealousy, and a violent confrontation.

• An alternate performance-based version was filmed for a remix, but it was never edited or released as a finished video. According to the band's official website, it did not involve boats and was not the rumored "Rio"-style concept.

• "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" was released in 1990 as the first single from the album "Liberty." It reached number 20 on the UK Singles Chart.

• The song's release marked a less commercially successful period for Duran Duran. Unlike the band's most celebrated 1980s clips, this video received comparatively limited attention during the changing music-video climate of 1990.