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THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH
Review by Michael Jacobson
Stars:
David Bowie, Rip Torn, Candy Clark, Buck Henry
Director: Nicholas Roeg
Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1
Studio: Criterion
Features: See Review
Length: 139 Minutes
Release Date: September 27, 2005
"They
always seem to lead such interesting lives...people who travel..."
The
Man Who Fell to Earth is some kind of bizarre masterpiece; frustrating and hypnotic, sometimes
confusing yet always engaging. It
benefits from the touch of a masterful director with an eye for making the
normal seem strange, and a pop-star turned actor in a role that seemed tailor
made for him.
That
director is Nicholas Roeg, who had made the equally strangely beautiful Walkabout
five years earlier. In it, he
made the world seem both sumptuous and hostile…or if that’s the wrong word,
at least harshly impartial…and he told the story of an outsider whose
inability to communicate properly eventually led to his destruction.
He
covers some similar ground in this movie, which is the kind of sci-fi that could
only take place post-2001 and pre-Star Wars.
The Man Who Fell to Earth stars “The Man Who Sold the World”,
David Bowie, who gives an excellent debut performance as Thomas Jerome Newton, the
title role.
As
the film opens, we witness a spectacular fall of some kind…the picture plays
with enticing images yet never contemplates them more than for their physical
beauty. Newton has arrived from
afar. He comes from a world that is
dying from lack of water. Using
patents for incredible advances in technology, his goal is to quickly establish
a new corporation, make a fortune in order to build a ship for him to return
home, and supposedly bring back a cache of water to his now barren world.
He
obtains legal help from a patent lawyer, Oliver Farnsworth (Henry), and
scientific help from a physics professor, Nathan Bryce (Torn), by throwing
plenty of money their way and forbidding them to ask questions.
It doesn’t take long for Newton’s venture, World Enterprises, to
become a major financial player with devices that change the way we live our
lives (think: Microsoft).
But
Newton, who is fragile and constantly gulps water like a vampire to blood,
becomes victimized by human nature and corruption. A casual encounter with a hotel worker, Mary Lou (Clark), who
seems to save his life after a near-fatal accident, eventually turns into a love
affair. Mary Lou seems clingy and
desperate, while Newton at first remains reserved and detached.
But as the years pass (we don’t know exactly how much time the story
takes), she switches him from water to alcohol while he begins to learn the
pleasures of being young, handsome and rich on this planet.
He
also learns what it means to become a cult figure. Naïvely assuming he can remain private while building such
an empire, he becomes something of an icon.
By the time he’s supposed to return home, he’s much different than
when he first arrived, and throes are gathered to see him off.
But he doesn’t make it, partially because those he trusted have
uncovered his secret.
This
is a sad tale, and a strange one, about a seemingly incorruptible being becoming
corrupted. We see surreal
flashbacks by Newton to the family he left behind on a drying up planet…his
original goal is just to do his job and get back to them, but they become more
and more elusive to him as he becomes trapped in the corporate gears of greed he
helped create. His relationship
with Mary Lou is even more strange and sad…we see in a key scene of revelation
that in normal form, Newton could never have the kind of physical relationship
with a woman that humans could have. His
artificial guise allows him to…as Pauline Kael wrote, it’s purity become
erotic.
This
picture isn’t always easy to follow, but it’s always engaging.
Nicholas Roeg deliberately factures his timeline as he goes.
By the end, we’re not sure just how long Newton has been on earth…he
seems to age internally instead of externally…but his companions have all
grown much older. They’ve
physically changed much more than him, but ironically, it’s Newton that alters
the most over the course of the story.
The
acting in this film is splendid, with Bowie giving one of the best performances
of his career in his first movie role. He
has the right look for Newton, but more so, the right mannerism, the right
perplexity, and sometimes even the right helplessness.
He seems to really understand and vitalize the mysterious visitor.
The
photography and camerawork is first rate…as mentioned, Roeg has an eye for
making the ordinary seem disjointed. The
early sequence where simple objects are depicted in strange photographic context
make us as disoriented as Newton is. Roeg’s
landscapes, as usual, show nature as both beautiful and eerie, making the
imagery constantly enticing and hypnotic.
The
Man Who Fell to Earth is a most unusual and distinct piece of science fiction in the end.
It forgoes the genre’s usual intercourse with technology and
razzle-dazzle to become a sober, contemplative look at the nature of man with an
outsider’s eyes…and maybe finding more truth than we’re comfortable in
dealing with.
Video
****
Simply
stunning…I have to say that this anamorphic transfer from Criterion, approved
by Nicholas Roeg, is a great service
to fans. Nicholas Roeg is an
absolute master of screen composition, and he uses the Scope ratio to full
effect in shot after shot. Every
frame is a thing of beauty; to trim it down for pan & scan would be almost
like hacking limbs off of the Pieta.
But
above and beyond that, this is one of the best looking transfers I’ve ever
seen for a 70s film, and a startling revelation when compared to previous faded
out VHS versions. Ever color, every
tone, every shade is brought to vivid life by this offering.
Detail level is remarkable, in both close and far shots, with every
object in every scene looking distinct…even similar colors in certain shots
take on their own particular hue and never bleed or blend unduly.
Even the print itself is clean and free of aging artifacts.
An extraordinary effort!
Audio
***
Though
a version of this film exists on disc with remastered 5.1 sound, Criterion opted
for the purist route, and kept the audio in its original stereo format.
The sound is still quite good despite its natural limitations, with a fair
amount of dynamic range, clean and clear dialogue, and some great soundtrack
music to boot.
Features
****
This is a pretty loaded double disc offering from Criterion that should please fans of the film. Disc One features a commentary by Nicholas Roeg, David Bowie and Buck Henry. Roeg is a kind of low-key, thoughtful speaker, but with a good sense of analysis of his own work and a bit of a humorous side. Part of the commentary track is him alone, part is him with Bowie...it's a real treat to listen to the rock legend reminisce. Buck Henry speaks solo, and he delivers his thoughts with great affinity and a chuckle or two.
Disc Two has the remaining extras, and they include a new video interviews with screenwriter Paul Mayersberg as well as actors Candy Clark and Rip Torn. There are a pair of audio-only interviews featuring costume designer May Routh and production designer Brian Eastwell on one and novelist Walter Tevis on the other.
Rounding out are galleries of costume sketches, photos, production and publicity skills, and trailers. But Criterion wouldn't be Criterion without the inclusion of some excellent printed material, and with this set, you not only get a 28 page booklet of essays and information, you also get a copy of Walter Tevis' complete original novel, reprinted especially for this release. Simply outstanding.
Summary:
