Review of The Fall (2006) by Ola G — 08 Jun 2016

Los Angeles, 1915: stuntman Roy Walker (Lee Pace) is hospitalized, as he is bedridden and possibly paralyzed after a jump he took in his first film. He meets Alexandria (Catinca Untaru), a young Romanian-born patient in the hospital who is recovering from a broken arm, and begins to tell her a story about her namesake. Alexandria is told she has to leave, but Roy promises to tell her an epic tale if she returns the next day. The next morning, as Roy spins his tale of fantasy, Alexandria's imagination brings his characters to life. Roy's tale is about five heroes: a silent Indian warrior (Jeetu Verma), a muscular ex-slave named Otta Benga (Marcus Wesley), an Italian explosives expert called Luigi (Robin Smith), Charles Darwin (Leo Bill) with a pet monkey called Wallace, and a masked swashbuckling bandit. An evil ruler named Governor Odious (Daniel Caltagirone) has committed an offense against each of the five, who all seek revenge. The heroes are later joined by a sixth hero, a mystic. Alexandria vividly imagines her friends and people around her appearing as the characters in Roy's story. Although Roy develops affection for Alexandria, he also has an ulterior motive: by gaining her trust, he tricks her into stealing morphine from the hospital pharmacy so that he can attempt suicide; a choice driven by his love leaving him for the actor for whom he provided the stunt footage. However, Alexandria returns with only three pills, having mistaken the "E" on the piece of paper Roy gave her for a "3". The stories become a collaborative tale to which Alexandria also contributes. Alexandria herself becomes a character: while Roy is the masked bandit, she is his daughter. Roy talks Alexandria into stealing a bottle of morphine tablets locked in a fellow patient's cabinet, and then downs it all. The next morning, Roy awakens from his sleep and realizes he is only alive because his neighboring patient is receiving a placebo rather than actual morphine. Alexandria, desperate to help Roy, sneaks out of bed to the pharmacy. She climbs onto the cabinet but loses her footing, falls, and is badly injured. She receives surgery, after which she is visited by Roy, where he confesses his deception. He encourages Alexandria to ask someone else to end the story, but she insists on hearing Roy's ending. Roy reluctantly begins the rest of the story...

When I saw "The Fall" the first time I was mesmerised by this fantastic, mythical and magical piece of film. Tarsem Singh creates films like no one else with such a vivid kaleidoscope of everything that makes the story truly come alive on the screen. It´s one those movies that presents a a story that is unlike anything else due to Tarsem´s amazing visual vision. The cinematography, colors, framework, costumes, lighting, and beautiful backdrops. I reckon a dreamlike experience based on an intriguing storyline. The interaction between Lee Pace and Catinca Untaru is wonderful and she manages to be so real in her acting that she seems to not actually be acting. She seems unaware that she is in a film, and just do and say what she would say in reality in those interactions with Pace. The focus on heartbreak, revenge, love, friendship and darkness is portrayed in a very delicate and vulnerable way, but yet in a children´s book sort of way. But, when re-seeing it the fact struck me that I didn´t really like the way the story Walker is telling to Alexandria is told as it becomes almost too farcical and melodramatic in it´s performance. Yes, I understand that Singh wanted to really separate reality from fiction in the film, but I would love to have the story more "real" and dramatic. I reckon the film would gain a stronger outcome with that and less a sense of comedy. Roger Ebert gave the film 4/4, and wrote, "You might want to see for no other reason than because it exists. There will never be another like it." And he is so right in that. You must love the dedication Singh has put into this film, shot in 28 countries for four years with only existing locations. I applaud that.