Review of The Fall (2006) by Brianna E — 09 Dec 2012

Recently, movies seem to have the same basic plots-- stereotypical chick flicks, action thrillers, and horror movies clog theaters. However, there is one refreshing film that breaks the movie industry mold: The Fall, directed by Tarsem Singh. This unique film illustrates the friendship of a young girl, Alexandria, and a man, Roy. The pair becomes friends in a hospital, Alexandria recovering from a broken arm, and Roy recovering from broken legs. Roy spins a story for Alexandria about five men who are out to kill the evil Governor Odious. As the movie unfolds it becomes apparent that the story is not about entertaining a young girl, but about manipulating her. Unpredictably the film draws audiences into the pair only to find their friendship is based on lies, death, and pain.

The movie exhibits breathtaking locations, like huge sand dunes, cities painted entirely blue, and swimming elephants. A unique plot and mysterious characters also support it. The movie was filmed in over 20 countries and took four years to complete. The impressive film was created without the use of CGI (Computer-generated imagery) and funded entirely by the director.

Despite the quality and artistry the movie exhibits, The Fall was not a blockbuster film. In comparison, the film Avatar directed by James Cameron was a huge success, and took more time to create then The Fall. So, why was Avatar so much more successful then The Fall? My personal belief is that Avatar had an anti-military and pro-nature underlying message that has been a fad in modern day culture, while The Fall is violent and has a dark message.

Manipulation is a strong factor in the film, not only is the plot about Roy manipulating Alexandria (Catinca Untaru), also while filming the hospital scenes the crew and most of the cast were manipulated. While the hospital scenes were being shot, the actor Roy (Lee Pace) led the cast and crew to believe that Lee Pace was actually paralyzed, in order to make the actors more believable when they interacted with Roy. Also, as mentioned before, Roy convinces Alexandria to steal morphine for him by withholding parts of the story. Alexandria, not knowing any better, helps him but doesnâ??t always fulfill his request.

Although I am a firm believer that everyone should watch this film, there are some shortfalls in the plot and characters. The mystery behind Roy is played well. In the beginning, this mysterious immobile man captivates the audience, but by the end of the film, Roy is not completely uncovered as a character. Some may enjoy the continued mystery but it seems a little open ended, mostly with Roy and his girlfriendâ??s relationship. Royâ??s girlfriend seems to be at fault for his hospitalization, but the background on their relationship is never explained. Also, the story that Roy tells becomes obviously parallel to his and Alexandriaâ??s life, and the girlfriend seems to mesh with the Nurse at the hospital. This bears the question of who the nurse is and if she is Royâ??s girlfriend. The question of his relationship is never answered, and I found it very unsettling and awkward in the movieâ??s closing.

I believe this movie is in a class of its own. Although not everyone will enjoy it fully, everyone should watch it to cleanse his or her pallet. The Fall is not an industry changer, nor will it be a blockbuster, however that does not mean it is a bad film. The Fall is a quality unique movie, and people who want to watch something new and refreshing should make time to see it.