Year: 1976
Duration: 2:19:08
Directed by: Nicolas Roeg
Actors: David Bowie, Rip Torn, Candy Clark
Language: English
Country: UK
Also known as: El hombre que cayó a la tierra, A Földre pottyant férfi, Czlowiek, który spadl na ziemie
Description: The film is about an alien who – after ditching his spaceship in a forest lake – dwelt among people, preserving his original kind of duality: the shell of a human body and the soul of a stranger.
Review: Nicolas Roeg’s film “The Man Who Fell to Earth” was released in the distant 1972nd year. By that time, mankind has managed to survive the peak of his thirst of space and immense: Space has been conquered, distant worlds and infinite space have ceased to shock the conscience of the masses, the world of men again confined to our own planet, no more sense to fly away from it – now it can only fall. Communication tools have become hackneyed means distancing people from each other, and the feeling of his loneliness in space appealed to the widespread hypocrisy, lies and decay. In return, the higher values come more practical and probably humane: entertainment, drinking, casual sex without commitment.
Now imagine that one sunny day a visitor from a distant planet fell to Earth. It could fall anywhere, but, unfortunately, found myself here. His goal was to bring water to their homeland, the crumbling of drought and thirst, it would seem – what could be easier? But you can not stay long in a society, not having caught it from his illness, not a break in it, like a pebble. It is impossible not to humanize. The stranger, who took himself quite earthly name – Thomas Jerome Newton (in the movie, he often referred to as Tommy), was prepared by the contact only in appearance, he stocked up on gold rings, then to exchange them for our money, took with him a couple of alien technology, so what- then teach humanity and barter knowledge on water, but he still remained a naive creature, which is alien to cruelty – performance in the Japanese theater shocking it even frightens. We are accustomed to violence in childhood, stopped paying attention to it, it has become the norm. In fact, in the film there is no one more alive than Tommy. The main character, Mary Lou, is a typical person with her unwillingness to understand the baser interests and some foolishness in the eyes, and the love of her kind of flat, everyday.
Do not trust all the people. They lived for you, and you just use spit, remained cynical to the end, they will be hosting such a life. And Tommy, losing all that he had, leaving the idea of the possibility of return, realizing the obvious destruction of the family … he humanize. Externally. And while his hands are shaking from the excessive use of alcohol and his eyes will be clouded by drugs, it will be full of alien misunderstanding of our lives. And it will be to write music that will never reach its destination. All his life to the Earth turned around bedtime. All his life after Earth has become a nightmare, which can somehow get used to taking what if you need someone here – it means that you are using. Write music, Tommy, fall lower and lower, and remember that you will always be one.
Nicolas Roeg originally wanted to invite a stranger to the role of the science fiction writer Michael Crichton, in which the director drew his great height (m 2 6 cm), but in the end he settled on the candidacy of a famous musician David Bowie. I think it is impossible to find someone who could be more organically fit into this picture. Of course, an important role is played here by acting talent Bowie – the man is an example of the multi-talented genius. The same director has attracted non-standard appearance musician: thinness, pale skin, face with sharp features and eyes of different colors, there was no need to spend money on a special make-up. In addition, the film can also be called a concept album featuring Bowie «The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars», describing the life of an alien from Mars came to Earth to warn people about the disaster that is about to happen, but gradually steeped in human lowland life.
The film is very surreal, there a lot of dialogue and a lot of things that may seem out of place or confusing, but they all have a meaning, and the meaning of this – we and our morality, so to speak, our wishes come true – View TV sets at once, discussing plans for the New Year, the joy that brings instantly to develop film. This film can not be recommended to everyone, but the one who can get into all the two-something hours of film, will understand that Nicholas Roeg – one of the best directors of the XX century. It took quite a complex film with no newfangled special effects, but with deep meaning. Perhaps that is why all the positive reviews of the movie – but they are very few. It said the nature of the film is better than all the reviews.
Review #2: Ambiguous and rather surreal film that not only does not spoil, but rather gives it a certain uniqueness. Feel the influence of the wonderful works of Robert Heinlein’s “Stranger in a Strange Land.” In fact, only the plot of borrowing, we can say that this is an alternative version of the science fiction novel. The changing nature of the main character in the world is not in the direction of progress and regress toward the individual, moral degradation. Throughout the film, the main character less and less of his dream home, all the less he wants to return.
The main character has changed consumer society that gives all you need, but deprives a person of independence. It does not limit the freedom of man, the man himself is no longer free.
Talented direction and camerawork, coupled with a non-trivial plot and brilliant play by David Bowie gives a great result.
A film The Man Who Fell to Earth for all lovers of the social science fiction and fans of intelligent cinema.
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