The Fall – A Movie Everyone Should See (but hardly anyone has)
Tarsem’s “The Fall” is first and foremost a visual feast of almost unimaginable beauty. That there is a compelling story as well as a marvelous performance by Catinca Untaru just confirms it as being one of the best films I have seen in a very long time. In a time where imagination seems to be stalling and more and more movies are playing it safe, this is a film which is daring to the point of being insane.
Some internet research reveals that Tarsem spent millions of his own dollars in getting this film made and that makes a lot of sense. At its script level and even in its final execution, I cannot imagine any studio considering it to be marketable in the least, a fact which is borne out by the film’s damn poor box office showing.
Roger Ebert mentions in his review that there will never be another like it and that is possibly true. All the more reason that everyone should see this. They say we go to movies as a means of escape, well there can be no better escape than this – an extravagant light and sound show that rewards the senses and even impresses cynics like myself who think they have “seen it all”. A long time ago, I saw “The Cell” another film by Tarsem. An ordinary film at best, it was the film’s haunting and powerful imagery that still remains with me today. There are scenes in that movie which have not dated AT ALL. See the movie today and marvel again at the set pieces and backgrounds while being bored with the plot. The Fall has no such flaw however.
It is a perfect family film, that can be enjoyed by all. As a purely visual exercise, the Fall has no equal. The director has openly claimed that there is no CGI in the film and ALL locations are real. If you see the film, this will seem like nothing but a brazen lie. It just does not seem possible that no trickery was used and maybe we should understand that no explicit CGI was used.
Films which can hold your attention like this from opening to end are few and far between. Almost every frame is perfect in its own way and the stunning opening scene is matched by the closing one both accompanied by a powerful score that matches but never overpowers the awesomeness of the visuals. Then again, that would be some challenge all right.
Long story short- the fall is the reason why such terms as LCD TV, 1080p, blu-ray are now a part of the regular vernacular. See it, be in awe of it, and tell others about it as it deserves to be seen by all.
I am not including the dreadful trailer as it is one of the worst ones of all time, revealing every single brilliant scene. I had the luck and fortune to see the movie with no prior knowledge of the scenes/story etc and would hope everyone can be so lucky.
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