Lou Reed and Metallica Debut Darren Aronofsky-Directed 'The View' Video

At this point, the only way to save 'Lulu' in the eyes of fans and critics might be to throw more high-profile collaborators at the project.

It certainly can't hurt that unlikely collaborators Metallica and Lou Reed tapped Darren Aronofsky, the Oscar-nominated director behind 'The Wrestler' and 'Black Swan,' to direct the video for 'The View,' which debuted Dec. 3 at IFC.com.

"The first time I heard 'The View,' I was stunned," said Aronofsky in a press release. "I had never heard anything like it. Half was all Lou. The other half all Metallica. It was a marriage that on the surface made no sense, but the fusion changed the way I thought about both artists and morphed into something completely fresh and new."

Known for his stirring, at times disturbing onscreen visuals, Aronofsky opted for a relatively straightforward black-and-white performance clip. It opens with Lou and the gang arriving at their California studio, and as the tune -- one of only two on 'Lulu' less than five minutes long -- progresses, the images become increasingly blurry and disorienting.

"I feel Darren understood the power and range of the emotions fueled by the fire of Metallica," Reed said. "His strength and spirit are on display in every frame and I think he has caught the anger, rage and anguish at the bottom of the soul of real rock."

He went on to describe the clip as "possibly the best video ever made," echoing similarly highfalutin claims he's made about the album itself.