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The Fall, produced by two directors known as hypnotic masters in their own right—Fight Club's David Fincher and Being John Malcovich's Spike Jones—evokes the otherworldly quality of Terry Gilliam's The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Darren Aronofsky's The Fountain and Julie Taymor's Titus.

The Fall is suffused with all things fantastical: swimming elephants, opulent cathedrals, whirling dervishes, phalanxes of Pacific Islander, armor-clad knights, exotic palaces, vibrant costumes, burning bushes, camera obscura, Brothers Quay-style animation and images of such symmetry and Escheresque complexity that it is hard to believe that the film utilizes almost no computer generated imagery. Instead, The Fall mines the planet, visiting more than two dozen countries for some of the most astonishing locales ever set to film. The imagery takes on an ethereal splendor when married to Beethoven's thunderous Symphony No. 7.

Director Tarsem on the set

The acting in The Fall is as stylized as the visuals and is distinctive enough to warrant mentioning. You may be tempted to find the acting over-wrought, wooden or even pedestrian. Not so fast. Tarsem toys with his audience, creating characters that act implausibly in the fantasy world of Roy's imagination but completely as we would expect when the camera breaches the mythology to return to reality. The characterizations are part and parcel of the fantasy as well as the periodically bewildered, emotionally agitated nature of the teller.

Catinca Untaru is one of the best young actresses working today. Either that or every take of her is the ad-libbed ramblings of someone wrestling mightily with a language she can barely speak. I suspect it is the latter. Contrary to what one might think, however, the actress's verbal faltering adds to her character's authenticity and charm.

The Fall is wholly beguiling, an utterly transportive piece of filmmaking as dazzling in its visual audacity as it is in its spartan simplicity. It stole the breath from the lungs and coaxed tears from my eyes. And it's the best thing I've seen all year.

Talk About It

1. What does the title of the film mean? Do you feel it is a biblical allusion to humankind's banishment from the Garden and our separation form God? Why or what not?
2. While eating Eucharist wafers that Alexandria stole for him, Roy asks her, "Are you trying to save me?" What do you think?
3. Why are there so many shots in the film containing crucifixes? Discuss.

The Family Corner

The Fall is rated R for some violent images—not so much for the violence itself, but the bizarre manner in which it is portrayed. It's not a film for children, because its surreality is sure to drive them to distraction. There is next to no profanity, though the Lord's name is used in vain. While there is no nudity, we briefly overhear a couple making love.

Photos © Copyright Roadside Attractions

© Brandon Fibbs subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.

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