The Man Who Fell to Earth - Criterion Collection
by Nicolas Roeg
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Bernie Casey, Buck Henry, Candy Clark, David Bowie, Rip TornDirector: Nicolas Roeg
Brand: Image Entertainment
Cinematographer: Anthony B. Richmond
Producer: Barry Spikings
Producer: John Peverall
Producer: Michael Deeley
Producer: Si Litvinoff
Writer: Paul Mayersberg
Writer: Walter Tevis
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Subtitled)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 139 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-09-27
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Criterion
Movie Reviews of The Man Who Fell to Earth - Criterion Collection
Movie Review: Not for those seeking stimulation at the movies
Summary: 2 Stars
I enjoy heady science fiction. Tarkovsky's "Solaris," Kubrick's "2001" and John Boorman's "Zardoz" always make my top ten list of sci-fi films. Nicolas Roeg's "The Man Who Fell to Earth" is in no way close in class to these other classics. It is far from a fascinating film. I've seen it twice and it's the sort of film which keeps you watching simply because you're hoping SOMETHING is going to happen. Which never does. There is no sense of awe, mystery or tension in this film other than that sense of anticipation you feel believing you might be a scene away from a revelation. Unfortunately, that moment never arrives. What this film is an excellent example of is made-on-a-shoestring, freewheelingly vague, indulgent filmmaking typical of the "outsider" films of the seventies. Unfortunately, though, many of those film had some interesting elements, this film does not. It never delivers even a trace of accidental brilliance. Except for a fine cast (especially Candy Clark, who is reminiscent of "Susan Alexander" in "Citizen Kane" (in a good way), this film would have not felt out of place at a drive-in beside "The Legend of Boggy Creek." It's really a very poor work of art, especially coming from Roeg. I suppose if you're a cineaste, and want to fill out your film history, you might think you want to see it. But I would audition it at an art house before considering adding this to your collection. There have been few sloppier, draggy films made by a major filmmaker than "The Man Who Felll to Earth." The cinematography is even lousy. I'm giving it two stars, mainly for Candy Clark and Rip Torn's performances. Oh, yes, David Bowie is rather awful, doing his impression of Andy Warhol from another planet. I know this is in the Criterion Collection - an amazing company - but don't forget, they also -- for some unknown reason -- gave their wonderful packaging and transfer treatment to "The Rock."
Summary of The Man Who Fell to Earth - Criterion Collection
The Man Who Fell to Earth is a daring exploration of science fiction as an art form. The story of an alien on an elaborate rescue mission provides the launching pad for Nicolas Roeg's visual tour de force, a formally adventurous examination of alienation in contemporary life. Rock legend David Bowie completely embodies the title role, while Candy Clark, Buck Henry, and Rip Torn turn in pitch-perfect supporting performances. The film's hallucinatory vision was obscured in the American theatrical release, which deleted nearly twenty minutes of crucial scenes and details. The Criterion Collection is proud to present Roeg's full, uncut version, in this exclusive new director-approved high-definition widescreen transfer.While other films directed by Nicolas Roeg have attained similar cult status (including Walkabout and Don't Look Now), none has been as hotly debated as this languid but oddly fascinating adaptation of the science fiction novel by Walter Tevis. David Bowie plays the alien of the title, who arrives on Earth with hopes of finding a way to save his own planet from turning into an arid wasteland. He funds this effort by capitalizing on several highly lucrative inventions, and in so doing becomes the powerful leader of an international corporate conglomerate. But his success has negative consequences as well--his contact with Earth has a disintegrating effect that sends him into a tailspin of disorientation and metaphysical despair. The sexual attention of a cheerful young woman (Candy Clark) doesn't do much to change his outlook, and his introduction to liquor proves even more devastating, until, finally, it looks as though his visit to Earth may be a permanent one. The Man Who Fell to Earth is definitely not for every taste--it's a highly contemplative, primarily visual experience that Roeg directs as an abstract treatise on (among other things) the alienating effects of an over-commercialized society. Stimulating and hypnotic or frightfully dull, depending on your receptiveness to its loosely knit ideas, it's at least in part about not belonging, about being disconnected from the world--about being a stranger in a strange land when there's really no place like home. --Jeff Shannon.
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