The Fall (2006) – 8/10 – Vibrant, colorful quilt of cinematography
Overall
THE FALL is a fairy tale adventure that is fresh, even if not original. It’s actually a remake of a 1981 Bulgarian film, “Yo Ho Ho.” I was scanning through various film lists and ran across this on a few. I had never heard of it, and the director/cast were unknown to me. It had solid ratings on IMDb and other film websites. I was stunned to learn they filmed in 28 countries over four years—an ambitious undertaking. I had to watch it, even though I didn’t know what to expect. A leap of faith is often worthwhile in life. THE FALL is a work of art that proves cinema’s artistic power. Storytelling and imagination, when done well, allow us to escape the confines of life. My rating is 8/10.
Plot (spoiler-free)
In 1915 Los Angeles, stuntman Roy (Lee Pace) is healing in the hospital for an injury that has left him bedridden and paralyzed. A little girl, Alexandria (Catinca Untaru), is in the hospital for a fractured arm. Both were going through physical injuries and mental duress from losing someone close. Alexandria, while playing, runs into Roy’s room as he lies there in pain. After learning her name, he tells her a story about Alexander the Great. Then tells her to return the next morning if she wants to listen to him share an epic tale. He begins by introducing six interesting characters out for revenge against the evil Governor Odious. They join forces as the epic begins.
Technicals
THE FALL is remarkable but not without its flaws. First, let’s begin with the goods. The visuals, cinematography, and locations are astounding. I’ve never seen a movie that was filmed in so many places. I can’t say enough about the vibrant colors and exquisite areas in which they filmed. The world has many gorgeous places if one takes the time to appreciate them. I don’t know the actors, but hats off to them for a commendable job, especially the lead actors, Pace and child actress Catinca Untaru. Director Tarsem Singh spent much of his life preparing, writing, and raising funds. While they didn’t recoup the money, sometimes distinguished pieces of art are not necessarily money makers. Beethoven’s 7th Symphony, one of his most famous works, serves as the theme, adding richness and graceful emotional variations. I won’t list every theme, but the main ones are friendship, the power of storytelling, loss, love, hope, desire to escape pain, what it means to be human, and death. The depth of ideas is applaudable. That takes us to two flaws. First, I occasionally lost track of the story. The visuals overtook the story’s focus and likely the funds. I wonder whether using 28 different locations was an expensive overkill. Second, the ending feels rushed. Catinca was also sometimes tough to understand without subtitles, but it was not surprising for a new child actress.
Interesting facts
I noted that this film spans 28 countries. According to Singh, the director, it took them 20 years to write the story and 17 years to scout the locations. They did not use CGI or sets for any of the scenes. They filmed everything on location, costing the production $30 million, equivalent to approximately $48 million today. During production, there was miscommunication that Lee Pace, who plays the bedridden Roy, was truly paraplegic. Director Singh kept the story going among the cast and crew to make them believe it.
Would I recommend this?
Yes, I recommend this gem. THE FALL is a timeless classic that will continue to age well, despite being a box office bust. Definitely check it out if you admire films such as THE PRINCESS BRIDE (1987), THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939), and CINEMA PARADISO (1988).
*Obtained trivia facts from IMDb’s trivia page and plot/basic history/names information from Wiki
