Music video plot and influence Stranger in Moscow

michael jackson walking streets of city in music video.

the song s music video, directed nick brandt, , shot in los angeles, focused around 6 unrelated people living in isolation in cityscape on dark, cloudy day while rest of world moves around them in slow motion. first half of video introduces these figures. 5 of figures are: bald man looking down @ city apartment window, middle-aged woman sitting alone in coffee shop, homeless man lying on damp street, well-dressed figure feeding pigeons, , teenage boy ostracized game of baseball. sixth figure jackson himself, seen walking city streets while sings. special effects used show birds , wasps flying, glass breaking , coffee spilling, in slow motion.

in second half of scenario, heavy rain descends on city , citizens try flee, again seen in slow motion. safety of shelter, 6 strangers watch s futile attempts avoid sudden change in weather. decide go outside, @ sky , allow rain soak them. video ends michael whipping hair. during scene, hear voicing softly in russian, reference moscow.

the music video appears on jackson s video albums history on film, volume ii , michael jackson s vision.

jackson s biographer j. randy taraborrelli, has stated video based on jackson s real life. used walk alone @ night looking new friends, @ peak of musical popularity. 1980s saw him become unhappy; jackson explained, @ home, m lonely. sit in room , cry. s hard make friends... walk around neighborhood @ night, hoping find talk to. end coming home.