The Man Who Fell to Earth
May. 28,1976 RThomas Jerome Newton is an alien who has come to Earth in search of water to save his home planet. Aided by lawyer Oliver Farnsworth, Thomas uses his knowledge of advanced technology to create profitable inventions. While developing a method to transport water, Thomas meets Mary-Lou, a quiet hotel clerk, and begins to fall in love with her. Just as he is ready to leave Earth, Thomas is intercepted by the U.S. government, and his entire plan is threatened.
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Save your money for something good and enjoyable
Don't listen to the negative reviews
Absolutely the worst movie.
This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.
This is a film for the experienced cinephile. An average audience will probably get bored. David Bowie is an alien who lands on earth in search of water. This was the legendary singer's first starring role and he more than owns the role of a strange human trying to mix with humans. The surreal imagery by noted director Nicholas Roeg is a highlight and although the film wasn't a big hit either critically or commercially back when it was released, it has a huge following today. If you are a fan of science fiction you should check this out.
Maybe Starman David Bowie was born to play the title role in The Man Who Fell To Earth, an avant-garde disjointed sci fi film from director Nicolas Roeg.Thomas Jerome Newton (David Bowie) is an alien who lands in New Mexico with some precious rings, a British passport and some rudimentary knowledge of patents. He needs to make money so he can build a rocket ship that can transport water to his dying planet.Newton quickly makes money through his advanced business patents, he recruits a chief scientist (Rip Torn) who discovers that he is not what he appears to be and falls in love with hotel maid (Candy Clark) who also introduces him to the delights of gin & tonic.The government intelligence service and rival businesses decide to look closely into his activities. They throw his patent lawyer and business associate (Buck Henry) out of the window and then hold Newton captive in a hotel plying him with gin.The film plays with time as years go by and other characters age. We have flashbacks of Newton in his home planet with his family. The most memorable scenes is that of an alien with a British passport and the famous scene of Clark urinating her underwear when Newton reveals himself as an alien.The film has a cult following but it is not a great film. It is too trippy and unstructured leading you to ask more questions than get any answers from it. Still I cannot think of anyone else who could had played the title role in that era and Bowie goes for it full frontal.However the combination of Bowie and Roeg makes this a landmark science fiction film of the 1970s just as worthy as Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Bowie was really professional at his first role as the alien and seriously, I'm glad he used his own British accent instead of a fake American one because Christ, it wouldn't suit him as an actor/singer. Candy Clark and himself were such an adorable couple and I have to say, the sex scenes were just really sexy tbh!I noticed as well that Bowie kept his Ziggy Stardust ginger colour and it really suits him for this role because Ziggy Stardust was an alien too! Its just so sad that he died of cancer last year and that in 3 days time, it will be his first death anniversary. RIP David Bowie <3
Nicolas Roeg's The Man Who Fell To Earth is a bit of a trippy viewing experience full of layered themes of isolation and loneliness excellently portrayed through main star David Bowie's performance to which he later re-counted was the perfect role as to what he was experiencing personally at that time in his life (The Thin White Duke era) . The film aims high in terms of its ideas but doesn't always hit the target, it ends up being a mixed bag.It's a not so complex plot and one we have seen many times before and since, An Alien Thomas Jerome Newton (Bowie) falls into earth in order to gather what he needs (in this case water) to collect and bring it back in order to save his dying planet (Which remains unnamed). We end up with a film that seems to go nowhere further in terms of plot which I think is the intention. Newton after establishing his plan to get what he needs to get back home hooks up with a passive alcoholic named Mary-Lou (Candy Clark) which leads him on a path of alcohol abuse and internal corruption. It is this theme which is the focal point of the movie.There is a rather grainy look to the film with dated effects which only add to the charm of the movie. The soundtrack is odd at times has I nice beat of jazz score at the beginning and moves on to campy soft porn vibe during the also camp love/sex scenes which is off-putting. Nothing From Bowie himself but after listening again to his album Low (which has tracks rejected for the film soundtrack utilized in the album) it inspired me to watch it.It is well acted for the most part although the perfect role in his first outing on the big screen for Bowie, you couldn't think of anyone else possibly playing this part as naturally as he does his elegant and sexual nature really adds to the film. There is also a role for Rip Torn who gives a good performance as a science professor who's life seems to be stale and bored with his sexual exploits with students. Candy Clark is possibly the weakest point in terms of acting although she does a decent job portraying a damaged soul dependent on drink and Newton, it's her more hysterical scenes that get slightly irritating.Roeg goes for an evocative style in terms of his direction it's like he's out to shock with soft porn sex scenes featuring male and female full frontal nudity. The pacing is a bit dis-jointed with some unnecessary and confusing scenes that lead nowhere and at a running time of over 2 hours its slightly overlong. Some of the dialog only adds to the confusion but I think it makes it more intriguing.A role that's made for bowie in a tale of corruption of an innocent mind through drink and an unforgiving environment. It has its ups and downs with plotting and editing all over the place, A strange one that I would certainly watch again it takes you out of your comfort zone in a good way.