The Fall cunningly blends several familiar plot designs with brilliantly surrealistic imagery to create an epic movie that visually appears unlike any other, yet still feels oddly recycled. Following in the footsteps of Pan’s Labyrinth, Tarsem’s second feature melds a somber reality with a mesmerizing fantasy, but his vision isn’t nearly as focused as the former’s and the result is plagued by a steady rise and fall of direction and satisfaction.
During her hospital recovery from a broken arm, young Alexandria (Catinca Untaru) encounters the bedridden Roy (Lee Pace), who quickly entices her with his storytelling. While manipulating the young girl into carrying out tasks for him, Roy weaves together an epic tale of five diverse warriors all fixated on a common goal — to kill the tyrannical governor Odious (Daniel Caltagirone). Continually adapting and evolving his story to encompass characters based on real people around them, and to please Alexandria’s vivid imagination, Roy slowly deceives the girl into aiding his tragic plan.
The gorgeous, surrealistic imagery of The Fall helps to mask the unsatisfying twists in character motives and themes, and easily signifies the most unique and impressive aspect of the film. A story that has seen many reincarnations hides beneath singular set designs, lavish costumes, and inspired cinematography. Escher-esque buildings dot the striking landscapes of neon deserts, grassy knolls, and blue cities. Inhabiting these are all manner of natives and black-masked foot soldiers, and each of the five main heroes sports a style and costume all their own. The fantastical kingdom that Tarsem has created both amazes and astonishes with its vibrant vision, but unfortunately all the grandiose visuals in this world don’t make a movie.
While Alexandria authentically portrays the bubbly demeanor rife with curiosity appropriate to her age, it is this lack of maturity which diminishes the poignancy of Roy’s elaborate storytelling trickery. With her inability to understand the complications of Roy’s mental predicaments, the audience can’t sympathize fully with either character’s plight. Perhaps a slightly older girl, such as the forced-into-maturity Ofelia of Pan’s Labyrinth would have garnered a more meaningful adventure and emotional reaction to the deaths and betrayals relevant to both reality and fiction.
A Byzantine mix of The Wizard of Oz, Pan’s Labyrinth, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen and more, Tarsem’s latest effort, The Fall, borrows more ideas than it composes. Visually, it is masterfully crafted, with stunning slow-motion, eye-popping imagery, and a sensational score — but the fact that so many comparisons can be drawn to other films is a detrimental mark against its originality. As the ever-changing story progresses, The Fall does just that — stumbling to focus on what truly matters to both storyteller and audience and in turn lessening the emotional impact a more anchored plot would have created. Here, truth isn’t stranger than fiction, but we wish that reality didn’t continually shift away from the path to satisfaction.
Genre: Drama, Adventure and Fantasy
Running Time: 117 min.
Theatrical Release Date: May 9th, 2008 (limited)
MPAA Rating: R for some violent images.
Directed By: Tarsem
Starring: Catinca Untaru, Lee Pace, Emil Hostina, Robin Smith, Jeetu Verma
SCORE = 6/10
