Uncovered Gem of the Week: The Fall
25 years of cinematographic obsession, or what Nike has to do with a 6-year-old Romanian girl who doesn’t speak English.
Chances are, you’re already familiar with legendary director Tarsem (pronounced tar-SAME) and his prolific commercial work for brands like Guinness, Nike, Levi’s and Motorola RAZR, as well as music videos like R.E.M.’s famed Losing My Religion.
What you may not be familiar with is his colossal pet project. The Fall, inspired by 1981 Bulgarian movie Yo Ho Ho, took 25 years to make and was shot on 26 locations across 18 countries. The film was quietly released in 2006 and swept the festival circuit, polarizing critics and audiences with its dramatic avant garde style and odd head-scratcher of a plot. And while The Fall sets a whimsical playground for the bizarre, the macabre and the idiosyncratic, what’s even more fascinating than the film itself is the story behind it.
If Tarsem’s style, however distinctive, seems vaguely familiar, it may be because he keeps rather famous company. His posse includes iconic director Spike Jonze and filmmaker David Fincher of Se7en, Fight Club, and Zodiac fame. The two were, in fact, instrumental to making the The Fall happen by getting Tarsem to finally move from obsession to production.
We have a hard time pegging The Fall — it’s part The Wizard of Oz, part Maya Deren’s Meshes of the Afternoon, part Bjork, part something else entirely. And while it’s just as likely to leave you overwhelmed with sheer awe as it is to make you underwhelmed and confused, it’s worth the watch even merely for the breathtaking cinematography, the phenomenal locations, and the brave play of light and color.
Watch The Fall and stay tuned for Tarsem’s new project, Greek epic War of Gods, now in production.
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“what’s even more fascinating than the film itself is the story behind it”
rather, the ONLY thing fascinating about it…. well okay, the locations are super cool… but if you just see the movie, ignoring all the cool production trivia and tarsem’s obvious charisma, ‘the fall’ simply falls flat on its face, legs kicking in the air, having no clue what it’s doing there, where it’s supposed to be going, and most importantly, why.
While I agree that the “why” factor is questionable (I personally, as you know, didn’t really “like” the movie), I disagree that all art has to answer the “why” question literally. It’s like looking at a Jackson Pollock and asking why the blue specks are exactly where they are, or listening to Bjork and asking why she’s singing in that off-kilter style of hers.
I think a lot of art isn’t “about” a concrete thing that answers a “why” question. It’s “about” a mood, a vibe. Creating a moment, a different reality – or un-reality — for you to contemplate, and from that contemplation itself comes your takeaway. It can be an abstract feeling that you got, or a fleeting thought, but regardless — regardless of its not being a linear “message” — it has somehow enriched you… but only as much as you’re willing to let it.
i agree that the question “why” should not always have to be answered literally, but there always is an answer even if it’s “just because”. however, this is not a “just because”-type of movie. there was an intention and a point to it but the director just didn’t deliver. quite frankly, it is completely understandable considering his background and lack of storytelling experience (commercials are a whole different language…former music video directors also have hard time developing characters and structuring a story). and i don’t think we should justify a failed monet by calling it a pollock or a failed portishead by calling it a bjork. ‘the fall’ lacked in structure and character development. the jumps between the real and the fantasy world were disruptive on all sorts of levels to me, mainly emotionally inconsistent. the cold, abstract fantasy world, with all its pretty costumes, colors and locations was not enchanting or enticing to me at all… i just think that i see where this movie was supposed to go but it never did… :/ And for a quick reference on how this type of a movie should be made – Pan’s Labyrinth.
Mostly valid points that I personally agree with. (Except for Pan’s Labyrinth, which I haven’t seen and thus can’t really say.) I do, however, disagree with your fundamental assumption that emotion is all there is, the only holy grail of artistic impact. There’s a lot to be said for powerful visceral stimuli and even just a good head-scratcher. So EVEN if The Fall falls flat on emotion for you (which I don’t entirely agree with, but that’s a different discussion), denying its total artistic footprint because it fails to deliver on the emotional front is a bit narrow.
As far as “this type of movie” goes, I don’t really think this film can be typified. And while, subjectively speaking, it reminds me of a weird lovechild of German Expressionism and early avant-garde cinema, it stands on its own two feet well enough to warrant some recognition. Saying how this film “should” be done is, frankly, a bit arrogant — as much as I respect your cinematic insight and knowledge — especially given the director’s incredible journey of bringing his vision to life. I don’t believe that just because we may not like or even get it, we should feel entitled to question its artistic merit.