The Fall

Tarsem Singh, Earth, 2008, 117 minutes

Tarsem Singh is the man responsible for one of the weirdest Hollywood films I have ever seen. The Cell, released in 2000, saw Jennifer Lopez entering the mind of a serial killer and discovering a seriously screwed up world. I’ve got to be honest; it was a terrible, terrible film. However, it did showcase a director with huge visual flair which had a great deal of potential if allied to a less overblown premise.

Tarsem (as he prefers to be known) has taken his time with this follow up to The Cell. This is unsurprising however, when you consider that The Fall has been running around his mind for 23 years. Despite this extended gestation, the overall story is remarkably simple. A small girl in a hospital in 1920s LA encounters an injured stuntman. The stuntman, lonely and depressed, invites the girl in and begins to tell her a story. As the story runs on it becomes progressively darker, with the stuntman’s suicidal tendencies starting to emerge.

The Fall is a massive step forward from The Cell. Visually it is equally stunning. Tarsem utilises a stunning colour palate granting every frame the feel of an impressionist painting. The film was shot in approximately 26 countries (they lost count when attempting to check), which gives the film an epic visual sweep. However, where it really improves upon its predecessor is in taking itself far less seriously. Where The Cell felt far too convinced of its own brilliance, The Fall is an altogether more playful creation. In part this is due to the plot, which evolved organically through the interactions between the two leads. Tarsem has stated that the main reason for the incredible gestation period for the project was due to his long search for a suitable young actress to play the small girl. The wait was undoubtedly worth it, as Catinca Untaru has given one of the most natural performances I have ever seen by a child actor. This is even more remarkable given that at the beginning of the shoot the actress spoke no English and merely learned her lines as they were given. Thankfully she is matched by Lee Pace as the stuntman, who possesses the charisma to make a potentially unlikable character sympathetic throughout.

The film is unafraid to go to some dark places. As the stuntman’s suicidal impulses become more pronounced, the film becomes a much more traumatic experience. The finale perhaps extends this philosophy too far, with the leads forced to endure a great deal of pain before the end credits roll. However, taken as a whole the film succeeds admirably in its ambitious goal, creating a tribute to the power of storytelling which will act as a powerful calling card for its up-and-coming director.

Review by Neil Henry
Written for EUFS Programme Spring 2009