One of the most beautifully shot movies ever made, Tarsem Singh’s modern cult classic is an ‘elegiac epic’, an intertwining of two sets of narratives about the endless imagination and despair that the human mind can experience.   

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I wanted to give all my love to The Fall but while it is a unique one-of-a-kind film, I wasn’t able to completely surrender myself to it.  Those who love Tarsem Singh’s best-known work truly adore it, and I can see why it has been, for nearly two decades now, one of the medium’s ‘must-see’ films for any self-professed cinephile. 

A visual spectacle of the highest order, The Fall is bookended by my all-time favourite Beethoven piece—his Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92 (2-Allegretto), which provides the mood necessary for an ‘elegiac epic’, which is how I would describe the film. 

Set in the silent era in Los Angeles, Roy, a wounded and suicidal stuntman befriends Alexandria, a young girl by telling her a fictional story about ethnic heroes seeking revenge against a despicable villain, in hopes of getting her to obtain enough morphine from the dispensary (they are both in a hospital for treatment) so that he can end his life. 

Roy’s storytelling is matched literally by Singh’s breathtaking accompanying visuals, shot on location around the world, including Turkey, India, Namibia and more. 

“It would be my honour if you consider joining us on our quest.”

The expansive picturesque landscapes and the tiny human figures reflect a story larger than life, which of course aligns very much with 1920s L.A., as the dream machine props up an industry that churns out entertaining battles and death-defying stunts on a regular basis. 

Apparently, there was no CGI used in The Fall, which is surprising, and therefore, astonishing to behold.  At the same time, Singh doesn’t give us a straightforward narrative—his intertwining of the Roy-Alexandria connection with Roy’s otherworldly heroes becomes conflated at some point, as characters and conversations cross over from one reality to the other, giving a sense of the endless imagination and despair that the human mind can experience. 

This makes The Fall more compelling than if it had strictly respected the storytelling boundaries of the two worlds.  With a new 4K restoration, the film should enjoy another round of ‘wows’ and ‘oohs’ and expand its cult status as one of the most beautifully shot movies ever made.      

Grade: B+

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