The Fall

One of best movies I’ve seen in the last decade has to be The Fall directed in 2006 by Tarsem Singh. Late last summer, it played for a few weeks at the local independent movie theater and I was fortunate enough to see it on the big screen.

Right from the beginning, the movie draws you in with gorgeous photography and art direction. Based on the screenplay of a Bulgarian movie from 1981, Yo Ho Ho the film shifts between the reality of two patients in a 1915 Southern California hospital and a dream world of bandits. Shot in 18 different countries and costumed by the Oscar-winning designer Eiko Ishioka, The Fall is a visual gift to the audience.

If you haven’t seen it already, here is the trailer for the 2008 American release:

I wish the trailer were more simple, leaving the viewer hungry for more rather than showing as much as it does. Since the above trailer leaves something to be desired, here is a copy of the opening credits I found on YouTube. This scene acts as a prologue for the movie and is stunning on the big screen, especially the last shot with Tarsem’s credit.