The Fall

2006

Director: Tarsem Singh

Distributor: Roadside Attractions

Key Elements: Lines – Message – Concept - Symbolism – Visual

Review:

This movie is visually spellbinding. I rank it with The Fountain and Sunshine in that respect. Salvador Dali could have provided the surreal art design. Seriously, it’s so good, the rest of the movie is almost irrelevant.

But there is a cute story here too.

A little girl and a young man who are both hospitalized develop an unlikely friendship when the man starts to tell the little girl stories. As the movie develops, we realize more of the man’s back-story and begin to understand the motive behind these stories – and how these stories might save him.

I love that the man tells a western, and the girl imagines it all with middle-eastern inspired imagery. Brilliant.

Also, the man and the girl have a really cute chemistry.

[Spoiler:]

I’m going to be honest - I’m still not really sure what the resolution to this story was. But I want to believe that the love of the girl made the storyteller want realize how selfish he was being and want to live.

Trailer:

Quotes:

• Is not gibberish.
• Are you trying to save my soul?
• You always stop at the same part, when it's very beautiful. Interesting.
• I don't want you to see me like this.
• Not the time to sleep, now. Not the time to sleep. Wake up. Wake up, its not the time to sleep now. Wake up. Don't pretend to sleep. Wake up. Laugh-laugh. Not the time to sleep.
• Make them kiss. -No, I don't want to make them kiss.
• That story was just a trick to get you to do something for me.
• I don't like this story!
• Because... everything dies
• You should ask someone else. There's no happy ending with me.
• I still want to hear it.
• It's my story. -Mine, too.
• She loves him.
• I don't want you to die. Roy.
• We're a strange pair, aren't we?

Stills: