The Fall

I hate to say this is the greatest film ever made when there are so many brilliant films out there, but honestly, this is in a class by itself. Magical, mystical, brilliant. It has a 1001 Nights feeling about it. I'm so grateful to the filmmaker and all who worked on it because it looks like it took the patience of saints to pull off. A mythical tale, visually over the top, beautiful in every way. I wanted to watch it twice in a row but it was so rich and fulfilling, I had to let it sink in for a while before a second viewing. Thank you so much for lifting my spirits and showing me the world as I've never seen it before. And beautiful actors who give their all. (I was worried/scared about the horse in the beginning but in a documentary about the making of the film they show it was just a very realistic prop - phew.) An experience not to miss! Read more

What a gorgeous film, my favorite movie. I've been waiting a long time for the 4k release and it's even more stunning and soulful in higher fidelity, can't recommend it enough. If you could only watch one film in 4k to understand the appeal... this is it. Read more

The Fall is one of those rare movies that sucks you in and wrenches you around like a roller coaster- in the best of ways. When its over, it leaves you stunned, amazed and enchanted. I kept asking myself- how had I never heard of this movie, HOW COULD I NEVER HAVE HEARD OF THIS MOVIE?? As a profound lover of fantasy of all kinds, only 2 fantasy films have ever had such a real, lasting, devastating effect on me; Pan's Labyrinth and The Fall. Its the story of a young girl recovering from a broken arm in a rural hospital. There she meets Roy, a studio stuntman (the film is set in the early days of Hollywood). Roy has just lost his girlfriend to a leading man, and the use of his legs in a stunt gone wrong. His only desire is to end his life. Roy begins entertaining young Alexandria with stories in an effort to gain her trust, so he can manipulate her into unknowingly bringing him enough morphine to commit suicide. But the story he tells her begins to take on a life of its own, and through Alexandria's innocent courage and love, the story will change both their lives. Its the story of 5 heroes seeking revenge on a common enemy, Governor Odious. The five heroes and their quest come to life in gorgeous color and detail as Alexandria imagines them, compete with her childish mistakes (Roy describes one as an Indian meaning Native American, Alexandria pictures an Indian from India). Perhaps what makes the film's visual beauty so astounding is that none of it is computer generated. Every fantastic landscape is real. Even as Roy's fantasy world becomes more beautiful and enchanting, it begins encroaching on the real world, and comes perilously close to the pain of reality. Actress Catinca Untaru gives, hands down, the best performance by a child actor I've ever seen. I've read that she was largely unscripted, so that her responses are genuine. She looks, talks and acts like a real child, making the fairy-tale world so much more believable. The rest of the cast is superb, the story is original and captivating, and the visuals are unforgettable. This is a fairy tale for the mind and heart, a fairy tale about real people as cowards and heroes, a gorgeous heart-wrenching fantasy. Read more

Immersive, colorful, and filled with heart. Remarkable visual, performances, score, and editing. An arthouse epic about childhood imagination, and growing up! Read more

Moving, imaginative, well acted, well directed, beautiful story and scenic design - the costumes are incredible as well. A must see. Read more

A troubled young man, recuperating from a suicidal stunt and a broken heart, meets a precocious little girl with a broken arm. He begins to tell her a story, but is secretly intending to use her to get morphine that will allow him to take his own life. The Fall is one of those rare films that is both a unique work of cinematic art and a crowd-pleasing gem. It is both beautiful to look at and has depth that is not apparent on a first viewing. For beauty and depth and for its approach to its theme The Fall deserves to be compared to Pan's Labyrinth , and really deserves the level of acclaim that film received. The film is an intensely personal project undertaken by its director Tarsem, who spent his own money over several years to make it, after studios refused to participate. Critics, however, including those who have reviewed it here, have been divided on the overall merits of the film. Everyone agrees it is pretty, sometimes astonishingly pretty. Some critics think that the story is a bit lame -- that the story serves merely as an excuse to present breathtaking visuals. If that were true, it wouldn't be so bad, but not as good as it could be. I think such critics are missing the point. What makes the film so remarkable to me is the interaction between the overall story and the story within. Just as, in The Princess Bride , it was the interaction between the story and the "metastory" that added to the charm and allowed the audience to suspend disbelief, it is the interaction between scenes in the hospital and scenes in Alexandria's imagination that add to the charm of this story. There are, however, significant differences between the approach of these two films. As the man tells little Alexandria his story, it comes to vivid life in her imagination. It is very much a child's story -- told at the level of a six-year old girl whose world is already a combination of make-believe and reality, who has not fully distinguished between lies and truth. That fact alone may account for some of the reviews that treat the story as "hokey" and "undeveloped" -- it is supposed to be an improvised tale told to a gullible girl. That makes it very different from, say, "The Princess Bride" where the story within the story is supposed to be written down. What makes this film so rich, however, are the ways in which elements from the everyday life of the girl are integrated and transformed into the imaginative world of the story she hears. In fact, the film makes clear that what she sees as she listens is quite different than what he intends: he speaks of an Indian and a squaw, for example, and she envisions a man from India in a turban and a woman with a veil. As he tells the story, he makes mistakes and forgets things or includes elements she doesn't like and part of the delight of the film is the playful interaction that develops between them as she interjects and he alters his story and the characters of her imagination look confused for a moment. What makes the story rich in my mind, and not at all simplistic, is that this naive little girl comes to see gradually that he is telling his own story and struggles with him to ensure a happy ending. I saw this film twice in theaters and it was even better the second time -- it is definitely one that I will treasure as part of my dvd collection. Read more

One of the greatest movies of all time. Very artistic and has a meaningful story. The dvd came in good packaging and was in expected condition. Read more

A great story. More importantly, the cinematography is fabulous. I could turn off the audio and just watch the scenery just slide by. The credits are old black and white silent film clips. Wonderful. Read more