Who directed Metallica's “The Unforgiven” music video?

Matt Mahurin directed Metallica's “The Unforgiven” music video.

“The Unforgiven” was released as the second single from Metallica's The Black Album on October 28, 1991. The song experiments with the shape of a power ballad: its verses are heavy and distorted, while its chorus is softer and more melodic than the band's earlier ballads.

Mahurin's video uses stark black-and-white imagery to tell a symbolic story about captivity, isolation, and a life spent trying to create an escape. The narrative centers on a boy born in confinement who grows old in a windowless stone room. This makes the clip notably different from a straightforward band-performance video.

The video premiered on November 19, 1991, after the single's release. It is sometimes confused with “The Unforgiven II” or “The Unforgiven III,” which appeared on later Metallica albums and had different release histories. Mahurin's credit applies specifically to the original Black Album song.