source: The Man Who Fell to Earth

Trailer—The Man Who Fell to Earth

The Man Who Fell to Earth

Aside from the vaguely intriguing start with Bowie's arrival (it's not clear where he got the clothes, the rings to sell and the British background, or indeed how long he'd been on earth – where did the car and the chauffeur suddenly come from?). This is a long disappointing mess of a film. I tried very hard to get into this and enjoy it but the narrative structure is confusing and disjointed. I think the film just tries to be clever and art-housy but I found it a complete bore and very frustrating to watch – the Emperor's New Clothes you might say. There is absolutely no chemistry or sex appeal between the two main characters. Visually, it's quite stylish, the best part is the first 30 minutes or so with the frailty of the alien character shown and the interesting and amusing idea (from a digital photography age perspective) of self-developing film.

Bowie is perfectly cast as an alien who seeks water for his dying planet. This film is so sparse as to be misleading as to the depth of its development, and it takes considerable time to grasp the message on the screen. But when you do, it is devastating: it haunts me 30 years after seeing it. Bowie's character has, of course, super powers...but not of the comic book kind...which he uses to amass a fortune in order to finance his goal. He is drawn to earthly ways, seeks emotional contact, but is unable to connect on any level. Earthlings use him mercilessly, and he is truly alone. His failure to save his family seals his doom; he will outlive all around him. Science fiction of the best kind.

I first saw "The Man Who Fell to Earth" when it was first released, and found it to be a jumbled mess. There were plot holes galore, and scenes that went nowhere or had no connection to anything. A few years back, I saw the director's cut, and it was an entirely different film. The plot holes were filled and all the scenes fit together perfectly. As bad as the original release version was, the director's cut is great and worth seeing.