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THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH
Blu-ray Edition
Review by Michael Jacobson
Stars:
David Bowie, Rip Torn, Candy Clark, Buck Henry
Director: Nicholas Roeg
Audio: PCM Stereo, Dolby Stereo
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1
Studio: Criterion
Features: See Review
Length: 139 Minutes
Release Date: December 16, 2008
"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…well, 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
****
Nicholas Roeg is a master of screen composition, but even with his supervision on the transfer, I don't think he knew how good his movie could look before this Criterion Blu-ray release. The colors and clarity of detail are remarkable throughout. There are a few early shots which appear to be stock footage that show a bit of graininess here and there, but overall, this is a vibrant and beautiful release that really preserves the integrity of Roeg's vision.
Audio
***
There's no 5.1 remix here, but Criterion has offered an uncompressed version of the original stereo soundtrack, which serves the film quite nicely while keeping the sound intact for purists. Dialogue and music are both well delivered, and a few spacey tones here and there keep the movie atmospheric and lively.
Features
****
This is a pretty loaded Blu-ray offering from Criterion that should please fans of the film. It starts with 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.
There are also 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.
Summary:
The Man Who Fell to Earth is a sad, beautiful, strange tale that defies the usual building blocks of science fiction to become more thoughtful, more observant, and more about ourselves in our present state than any vision of optimism or pessimism for the future. Criterion has scored big yet again...this is a terrific movie on a fantastic Blu-ray offering that should thrill its many loyal fans.
