The Dark Knightley

Keira Knightley earned an Oscar nomination for Pride and Prejudice and a Golden Globe nod for Atonement, so it should be no surprise she once again teamed up with the films' director, Joe Wright. The real surprise is what they shot.

Released last Thursday, the clip shows Knightley returning home after a day on the set and getting pummeled by a drunk and jealous boyfriend. As Knightley falls to the floor, the boyfriend continues to kick and beat her as the screen flashes the words, "Isn't it time someone called cut?"

CUT, the name of the clip, is a public service spot for Women's Aid, a U.K.-based group that tackles domestic violence. Despite some criticism for the graphic violence, the two-minute clip was an immediate viral hit on the Internet.

"I wanted to take part in this advert for Women's Aid because while domestic violence exists in every section of society, we rarely hear about it," said Knightley in a statement on the organization's website. "We may not think we know someone who has experienced domestic violence, but this does not mean that it is not happening. Domestic violence affects one in four women at some point in their lifetime and kills two women [in the United Kingdom] every week."

Knightley, who rose to fame in Bend It Like Beckham and reached a commercial apex with the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, donated her time and talents to the cause, as did director Joe Wright, his crew and the people who owned the location.

In the past, Knightley did an Amnesty International clip that called attention to the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She also lent her voice to 2007's Robbie the Reindeer, which directed all proceeds to Comic Relief.