Ultravox Vienna - Ultravox Vienna

What this video is

Released as a single on 9 January 1981, 'Vienna' arrived at the precise moment British New Romanticism was displacing punk as the dominant youth cultural force. The video's deliberate invocation of Weimar-era European cinema—expressionist shadow, formal dress codes, atmospheric Viennese architecture—positioned Ultravox at the intersection of art-house aspiration and mainstream pop commerce. The song spent four…

Why it matters

A foundational document of synth-pop and New Romantic music video language. 'Vienna' is routinely cited as one of the earliest and most fully realised 'mini-movie' music videos, predating the form's commercialisation. Its cinematic ambition—achieved on a micro-budget through directorial…

The director

Russell Mulcahy (born 23 June 1953, Melbourne, Australia) is an Australian director, writer, and producer. He rose to prominence as one of the most prolific and influential music video directors of the early 1980s, with a style characterised by fast cuts,…