Modest Mouse's 'King Rat' music video, which is directed by late 'The Dark Knight' star Heath Ledger, takes aim at the whalers.
- Aug 5, 2009
AceShowbiz - A music video directed by late actor Heath Ledger in support of Modest Mouse's single "King Rat" has made its debut. This animated video criticizes whaling as something which can endanger whale existence. It ends with a statement dedicated to "The Dark Knight" star, "This began with our friend, a great defender of life, and was completed in his spirit."
The concept of "King Rat" video is based on Ledger's "vision, brave and unapologetic in its nature [which] marry his love of bold and original music with his impassioned stance against the illegal commercial whale hunts taking place of the coast of Australia each year." Proceeds from this video's downloads in its first month of release will go toward Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, an international non-profit organization committed to ending the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world's oceans.
Praising Heath's idea for the video, Modest Mouse wrote on their MySpace, "Always one to operate from his heart and take a stand for what he cared deeply about, Heath's intention was to raise awareness on modern whaling practices through a potent visual piece without having to say a word. It was his way to let the story, in its candid reversal, speak for itself." This video was fully conceived but still unfinished when Heath passed away in January of 2008. After the actor's death, The Masses, a film and music company with which Heath partnered, completed the video.
