Did you know? A Question of Time began Corbijn’s video work with the band
Go back to 1986 and watch the opening chapter of a familiar visual partnership.
The official video archive names Anton Corbijn as the director of A Question of Time and identifies it as his first video for Depeche Mode. It is an earlier starting point than the Enjoy the Silence imagery many listeners immediately associate with him. [1]
Watch it without fast-forwarding to Violator
It is tempting to treat an early collaboration as a rough draft of something famous that came later. Give this film a little more room. Watch it as its own response to the song before comparing it with the videos you already know.
Follow the director, not just the single
Try one viewing with a simple question in mind: where does your attention go when nobody is singing directly to you? Look at the distance between people and the camera, the moments that linger, and the way one image gives way to another. You are tracing choices rather than trying to solve a hidden message.
Make it a two-video evening
Then watch Enjoy the Silence. Ask what feels related and what has changed. The point is not to award marks for a signature style; it is to notice how a director can help a band become recognisable beyond its sound. Our suggestion is a viewing exercise, not a claim about Corbijn’s stated intentions. The archive gives us the starting date and credit; the comparison gives us a reason to press play again.
Watch A Question of Time
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Explore the Anton Corbijn collection →
Source: Depeche Mode official video archive, curated by Daniel Barassi. Archive facts and our viewing suggestions are distinguished above.
MODE UNKNOWN · 14 September 2026 · AI-assisted research and writing using the credited primary source.