The Man Who Fell to Earth | | Cast : | David Bowie, Rip Torn, Candy Clark | | Director : | Nicolas Roeg | | Studio : | Criterion Collection | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen | | Released Date : | , 1976 | | DVD Released Date : | September 27, 2005 | | Language : | English (Dubbed) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | August 10, 2005 | | Summary | Bowie is Impressive | Content
 | David Bowie shows off some serious acting chops here. He delivers a very affecting portayal of an alien corrupted by humanity. The story is timeless and very thought provoking. If you haven't seen this movie I would recommend it. |
| Rating | | | Date | July 09, 2005 | | Summary | WAIT FOR THE CRITERION SEPTEMBER RELEASE | Content
| There are plenty of reviews below of the film, almost all based on the hatcheted edit currently available on disk. Roeg's original cut was a triumph...Criterion's release will do it right, as always. Hold on until then. |
| Rating | | | Date | April 22, 2005 | | Summary | A Turn Off | Content
| A movie is supposed to entertain, and enlighten, not confuse. Maddeningly incoherent plot, quirky and annoying camera work, terrible acting, especially by Candy Clark in bad adapation of her American Graffiti role - if she said, "Tommy, Tommy!" one more time, I was going to scream! The director should have been taken out back and shot! Could have been a good film if the story was simply told! |
| Rating | | | Date | March 19, 2005 | | Summary | bowie phone home... | Content
| If you're a huge David Bowie fan then you might like this flick- just to see him (and I mean all of him) in 1976, with great hair, and those magnetic eyes. Other than that, this sci-fi self proclaimed "cult classic" will bore you to tears like Carson Daly's absent personality. (I swear hes an MTV created robot.) This movie was so choppy and dragged out, with a bummer of an ending, that I briefly hated David Bowie. Briefly. |
| Rating | | | Date | January 12, 2005 | | Summary | Cracked Actor | Content
| David Bowie at the height of his popularity and some may argue beyond the peak of his creativity, musically had begun to turn his attention to other projects.
In order to understand the metaphor represented here , one must understand Bowie's state of well being. Burned out after Ziggy , Introspective and retrospective become inter-twined. The resultant psychosis is manifest here in The Man Who Fell To Earth.
Imagine a rock star having both opportunity and the means to explore his own projects and so highly thought of that no-one dare say no to you , but all you really craved through your exploration was to be understood.
People's misgivings and misunderstandings about this movie are a reflection of the criticism that Bowie in his drug fuelled career had endured to this point. Its surely no suprise then that this movie confuses, suprises , amazes and revulses us. I think the director and Bowie convey this perfectly.The compulsive obsessive behaviour , the need to repeat a formula of success and the reliance upon a substance that will keep him sane and give him perspective. All conveyed admirably here.
Bowie is not the worlds best actor , this is maybe not the best picture ever made , but what we see are a glimpse into the mind of a Musical Genius exploring a side of him that could not be conveyed within the medium of audio alone.
This movie is of its time and those that are aware know what DB writes of "Time" , unfortunately I cannot convey those lyrics here , but would suggest you consult Mr Bowies excellent CD back catalogue if you need a reference to them.
The only other criticism that I can make is that it could have been done with a little less self indugence. The pace may not be to everyones taste either , but is certainly no different to that of Lucas' THX-1138 in that regard.
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