The Fall – Tarsem Rises
Assalam waaleikum
My boy’s back, and he goes by Tarsem
No video for R.E.M.
Or J.Lo and the Vinces in a bad fillum
It’s been a while since he rapped at ya
He got a dope rhyme,
but it won’t sell
No family’s dysfunctional
Or that other favorite;
repression
A visual fantasy, that’s his habit
And there’s a lil girl expressin.
If you get a chance, give it a dekko
and unlike The Cell,
You won’t need the blow.
Pardon my late May and newly 30 need to rap and keep it real. I have to re-assert my street cred what with all the punks getting a run of the place. I’m back bitches.
If there is one film you watch at the theater this year, this is it. It was raved about in Tornoto in 2006, had a preview screening at IFFLA 2008, and finally gets a wide release on May 30. Apparently, it is not enough to make an awesome film. The marketing folks and entirely tasteless distributors need to figure out a way to position and sell it, but more on that later.
From the trailer, you can see his trademark visual panache which visits Jodhpur, Udaipur, Tahiti, South Africa, and a bunch of other countries. The fantasy scenes are almost entirely exterior, and it has remarkable production design, all of which call to attention his last effort, The Cell. But, this time it is in service of a good story well told, with fantastic performances.
The story is simple enough and has been told in several shorts before including one by O. Henry (the name escapes me). Two people are stuck in a hospital room, and represent the ends of the age spectrum and life-death continuum. One hopeful and the other morbid. They change each others lives.
The Fall is an OFFICIAL remake of a Bulgarian film Yo Ho Ho, and that is all I know about the original. Tarsem has been running around trying to make this film for close to 20 years. The protagonists are a 5 year old Romanian girl that picks oranges in a California plantation, and a Hollywood stuntman, both stuck in a hospital in 20’s LA after a fall. The stuntman is paralyzed, and wants to kill himself, and the girl’s elbow is in a cast and wants to hear a story. And so it unfolds.
There’s a myth in Hollywood and the indie world that if you make a good film, it will find an audience. I think it comes from that 1989 Costner baseball film Field of Dreams, where someone spouts the line, “If you build it, they will come.” They forget that a screenwriter wrote that line, and we are notorious for being dreamers and liars. You may also ask resident expert Shivajee what he thinks about that.
I had started writing this post a while ago, and much against Kabir’s wishes (you know, like that doha – kaal karay so aaj kar, aaj karay so ab, pal main parlay hoygi, bahuri karega kab) decided to do tomorrow what I must do today, hoping and praying for an apocalypse, or better still, someone else to do my job for me.
The Onion A.V.Club is my one-stop-shop for pop culture that helps me keep it real. They reviewed The Fall and interviewed Tarsem. This has got to be one of the best interviews ever, and it’s long. A very quotable line by him that I’m paraphrasing, about shooting commercials as opposed to features; “I’m a prostitute that’s in love with her profession. I would fuck them for free, but they want to pay me, and they pay well.”
Please read it cos it saves me the trouble of talking about how awesome the film is.
I am more interested in the distribution angle. Tarsem could not raise money to make this film so he decided to make a truly independent film. Self financed and produced/directed/co-written by Tarsem by piggybacking onto his ad film shoots around the world. But unlike other self financed truly indie films like Nolan’s The Following, or Rodriguez’s El Mariachi, this is not his debut film, and it’s very polished. I would like to know the budget on this film, because it looks like a $20MM film, but was probably made for about 5 (two numbers that I pulled out of you know where).
There are 3 films that are similar enough to The Fall that warrant comparison.
Exhibit A – The soon to be released Australia by Baz Lahrman
A woman (Kidman) tells a young girl a story about a faraway land and some hero (Jackman). The trailer looks like a period romance/adventure film and it has two stars, and directed by Baz with hits and critical acclaim to his credit. Easy sell. The audience that made Atonement an Oscar nominated hit are pre-sold on this one. This will most likely open wide, and not just in the indie arthouse ghetto.
Exhibit B – Tideland by Terry Gilliam
I have not seen this film but it is a surreal tale about an abandoned girl that lives in a house in the middle of nowhere, and her fantasy world. This was a hard sell, and made it only to the arthouse circuit in 2005. The only reason it got distribution is because Gilliam’s crazy and also immensely respected as a filmmaker. He has a couple of hits (12 Monkeys, Brazil) and several critical acclaims (Fear & Loathing in Vegas, Fisher King), and people are curious about what zaniness he’ll put on celluloid. The film disappeared after a week.
Exhibit C – Pan’s Labyrinth by Guillermo Del Toro
The fantasy world of a young girl, and its interaction with the real world. The film was pretty straight forward as a horror fantasy. Del Toro had already made a reputation in horror films. And he had a silver bullet. A story set in Franco’s Fascist Spain and the fight against repression. Any time you can work that or titties into your film, you will most likely get distribution. It had two built in audiences; the horror audience, and the arthouse-NPR listening audience. Well played Guillermo.
The Fall is Tarsem’s second feature after a lifetime of videos and ad films.His claim to fame was the MV for R.E.M’s Losing my religion which he made right of school at the Art College Design Center. The video amply displayed his visual chops, ability to use production design to tell a story and create a mood that fits a piece. He went on to do several other MVs and commercials with Propaganda Films (the house of, among others, Gondry, Fincher, Jonze, Fuqua, etc., etc.) for Levi’s, Campari, and others. Youtube Tarsem, and you’ll find a bunch there.
His debut film was The Cell with Jenny from the Block. That film left a bad taste in many mouths. Like swallowing someone’s load after a meal of babaghanoush and asparagus. But watch it on mute or a soundtrack of your choosing, and it is pure ecstasy. A sumptuous and delirious visual feast.
A few things were working against him. A serial killer film at the tail end of the late 90s serial mania, a growing backlash against the omnipresence and overexposure of J. Lo, a cool premise but a lame story, and transitioning from the ad film world to the features world. There is incredible resentment against directors that make this switch, because ad filmmakers are thought of as hacks and not auteurs. Despite the box office success and storytelling artistry of Ridley Scott and Fincher (I’m sure there are others. Jonze and Gondry had not become a force yet). This is because of the Tony Scotts, Michael Bays and McGs of the world.
The film was derided, but still made money for the studio. What was important was that his name was sullied.
Then he goes on to make The Fall after almost 10 years. The Fall is a simple and sweet story with some dark undertones. It is not epic, it is not horror, there are no grand themes in play, other than a look at how storytelling works. Most critics raved about it at Toronto but no one was making him a deal. I’m guessing there may have been several Direct-to-DVD, or even an HBO premiere type deals offered. He may have held back because he wanted a theatrical, and I wouldn’t blame him. Such a visual delight needs to be watched on the big screen.
After nearly 2 years, his Propaganda pals threw their weight behind it (after cementing their position in Hollywood), and it now comes with a “David Fincher and Spike Jonze presents” tag. The problem is that only cinebuffs know who Jonze is. Most people probably know Fincher. But there is nothing in common between the films of Fincher, Jonze and Tarsem.
They can’t say something like, “The makers of Fight Club, Zodiac, and Being John Malkovich present.” That is total mixed messaging, which any marketer will tell you confuses the audience.
So, it’s opening on May 30, but only in arthouses across the US and some Foreign territories. It is unlikely that it will get any Oscar nods, so it will not go wide. It sadly seems to be destined to become a cult film with limited viewership.
Just a few quick words on indie distribution. Due to accessibility of equipment, there are many indie features being made in the US, and around the world. Even when good, they mostly play only at festivals, and even win awards. These films are so niche, that a theatrical distribution becomes difficult. Factor in rising gas prices, price of admissions, and the fact that there are more films than places to exhibit, these films need aggressive marketing to get audiences in before the Exhibitor decides to bump them off the screen. Which means again, a lot of money spent on marketing.
There are several companies out there that are trying to do to film distribution, what Amazon did to publishing (making more and more titles available to a niche audience). But, none have borne fruit (aka paisa) yet. The avenues they are looking at are internet streaming, mobiles, ipods etc., as even Direct-To-DVD becomes less viable.
This will mean a change in the kind of films that people make, as they try and tailor it to the even smaller pixelated screens where they will be seen.
Does this mean the death of visually splendid indie films? Do only the big boys get to make pre-digested, focus grouped spectacle? Are we going to see more naval-gazing, shot handheld in CU films about relationships and quirky character dramedies?
What is the next level of cinema viewing experience, when seen on a handheld device with ear phones. That level of intimacy and being inside your audience’s head, may yield a new type of film and cinematic language. Perhaps, it is time to listen to the satan-worshipping rockers from the 70s and 80s, and start putting in some subliminal aural messages on the soundtrack.
Burn it to the ground. Burn it to the ground. Shoot shoot shoot shoot shoot.
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
Dabba: Been waiting for this since you mentioned about doing the review. Thankfully, you paid heed to Kabir at the end. If you say it’s a visual 6-course, I feel have to make that trek to my friendly DVD pirate a few times to seek this
“Are we going to see more naval-gazing, shot handheld in CU films about relationships and quirky character dramedies?”
Nein nein mein herr. Das geschieht nie.
aHA!
my reason to get this one out in the open was more to do with getting to know what u thgt of the cell.
i dont know if its a convenient side step, but you say it left a bas taste in ‘many’ mouths..
urs included???
i was not a review junkie when cell released, but was amazed that most of the reviews i read (afterwards) panned it no end with no mention whatsoever about its merits (visually appealing is laymans term if u ask me).
this guy understands SCALE like no other (fincher comes close and gondry rules!) in the mainstream format and still he is bracketed into the niche!!!!!
@ subbu-
Watch on the big screen if at all possible.
@ Mitch
Lead the way Herr Piper.
@ DPac
I loved the cell. The screenplay was shite but the film was still compelling. My only regret is that I didn’t watch it at the cinema.
Ebert was the only critic that liked the cell and have it a thumbs up.
As a first studio film tarsem,s achievement is even greater that he could make a personal film crackling with so much style.
Read his interview that I posted. He was unlucky with the cell and will be unlucky with the fall. He needs to pick a nice genre film and do it like he does.
:-)
but then he wont be him i guess
and yea read ebert’s review pretty late.
A great quote from the Tarsem interview:
”Unfortunately, the handheld, really gritty-shitty look is perceived as realism. In that style, I find that you can make a cupboard act. You shoot an ad and the actor is dreadful, so you just pick up the camera and shake it around, and then suddenly it looks like the actor can act.”
So many modern Bollywood acting careers, directing careers, cinematography careers, even editing careers owe their all to this simple trick.
Take a bow, handheld.
Really, truly and completely visually stunning… I had a chance to see it on the big screen and though I would not have chosen it as a film to view, I was glad I did. I agree that it needs the fullness of the full cinema screen.
@ rabindro –
his interview was so entertaining. to get an idea of the quality of rediff journalism, compare the interview on rediff by aseem chabbria, with the one i posted above.
bhansali should take a leaf out of tarsem’s book.
see what bhansali did to rajasthan in HUm Dil DCS, and the sets of Devdas and his saawariya and compare to tarsem’s rajasthan, and his interior wedding scene in The Fall.
imagine saawariya made by tarsem!
@ Nina,
did you watch it at IFFLA or some place else?
@ rabindro –
the opinion that tarsem holds regarding handheld and the shitty-gritty look seems to be a Propaganda philosophy. Antoine Fuqua said the same thing about his choices (avoiding handheld) when depicting LA streets and gang life in Training Day.
@dabba: Why should Bhansali take a leaf out of Tarsem’s book? He has his own distinctive style and vision, which might be gaudy, over the top and excessively melodramatic, but it’s his own. And that’s what I respect him for, though you cannot count me as one of his fans.
@ aditya –
you’re right.
@dabba
Interviewing is an art form. It’s not only about the person who is answering, but also about the one who is asking. In that sense, a great interview is a collaborative work. This Tarsem interview by Tasha Robinson is a fine example. She was asking all the right questions. And he was genuinely connecting to those questions.
@ Dabba
IFFLA and the ArcLight Cinema screen made it that much more enjoyable!
Bhansali dances to his own drum. Not that I am comparing the two, but critics said of Giuseppe Verdi’s music that it sounded off. And then it became the “song of Italy”. It’s a question of timing and sensitivity. Maybe, if Bhansali had been making films 20 years ago, or in another country… who knows. Or maybe he’ll be critically understood later on. I may not always like his choices but I respect them and cannot deny that he is a very different filmmaker.
Am really really surprised to find someone writing about Tarsem Singh’s movies here on this website (I mean – an Indian one and by an Indian). Please dont get me wrong – it’s just that Tarsem is one of the very few Indians who is a successful and immensely talented film-maker and has made his mark abroad but sadly is just not known here. Thanks for this review too. I have seen the trailer and read about the movie. Hope to see it soon…
@ arthi V -
welcome to PFC. the onestop shop for all things cinema.
@ nina –
what is the story behind your discovery of hindi/indian cinema? i hope it’s not something trite like a guy…
@dabba
I am still at a loss why my name appeared in this article…dabba kuch light maaro…
theres a nice interview of tarsem on youtube.
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=zit2GwAV_rU#
i have no hope of watching it in on big screen here in bangalore :(
Thanks Dabba. PFC has been added to my list of sites that I visit regularly. I don’t write as often as you all here but I do watch many many movies and keep track of all that’s happening in the world of cinema. Thanks again to u all for the write-ups…
@ shivajee –
making a good film is not enough to get distribution. It took tarsem 2 years to get The Fall released. thought you may relate…
@ arthi V –
if you have the urge to share something about the movies you’re watching, do write in using Projekt iView. keep reading.
@ Dabba. NO guy involved! Dare I say it was my best friend – OK he’s a man, but not straight – in Jaipur, showing me K3G right after September 11th. My soul needed mending, from the experience of having been in NYC when the horror happened, watching daily the empty spot in front of my window where the Towers once stood, and that film made me believe in human goodness again… For me Indian cinema began as simple escapism, then it just progressed into so much more… Just as Indian cinema itself has progressed into the type of industry that churns out “Bheja Fry”, “Mixed Doubles” and “Life in a Metro”, along with the more typical Bollywood films. Does that answer your question?
@ SG, thanks for sharing the wonderful interview. Even more fun to know what went on behind the scenes. And about seeing it on the big screen… Never say never…
@ sg –
thanks for the clip.
@ sg, nina –
read the interview i posted above from theonion. Tarsem lied to his entire crew that the lead who no one recognized, was acctually paralyzed so that the 6 year old girl would think he was paralyzed for real. he made her interpret the story based on what he had written and went and shot all the fantasy sequences based on that.
he is crazy and dedicated.
@ nina –
i’m glad K3G had some redemptive qualities. it was all a bit too much for me, but i have met a lot of people who discovered Bollywood and indian cinema through K3G.
it may have been the most aggressively marketed film. it was given out as a free dvd on the backs of magazines in Poland and other eastern european countries. i met a lot of polish women (young, and old) who fell in love with that movie and the yash raj/karan johar/shahrukh brand of cinema after that.
some of them moved on to smaller independent films, while the rest wait with bated breath for the next shah rukh release.
is your involvement in the movies purely as an audience? what takes you around the wolrd so much?
@ Dabba -
I am a writer by profession, a gypsy by soul and a NOT so much into SRK. I mean, I recognize his appeal and his talents, but I was so lucky to see K3G in Jaipur, at Raj Mandir, I think I could have been watching Dhoom 2 and still found it life-changing!
I like the history you shared, behind the scenes of the film’s marketing! Thanks for that. I have found a lot of eastern Europeans are into Bollywood and all things Indian. Then, I got to talking with a really interesting Russian illustrator for Vogue, and he shed some light on that. Apparently, when the Russian government would make allies with a particular country, it would then make the products “available” in Russia quite aggressively! I thought that was fascinating and explains why the Ukranian community of Los Angeles is the biggest subscriber to my favorite Hindi video shop there!! And they know Big B movies inside and out!
But factoids aside, I believe I know nothing of Indian Cinema. I enjoy it and don’t pretend to be an expert… Which Kapoor comes from which original Kapoor is still a mystery to me… Though I know some of those women you write of above, who sit longingly awaiting the next SRK release… And any product he may be currently peddling… And BTW, RE: Tarsem’s choice of keeping everyone in the dark about the walking abilities of his lead, BRILLIANT! He even found how to use the little girl’s growing knowledge of the English language to his advantage!
@ nina –
my barber who happens to be russian was telling me how much he loved baghban, and how true to life it was. kids these days just don’t care.
what kinda writing?
i can’t wait for tarsem to make his next film.
btw, Roger Waters liked Baabul and I had a heart attack
http://www.brain-damage.co.uk/archive/mumbai-prepares-for-roger-waters.html
@ axw11 –
budha sathiya gaya hai. he may have become too comfortably numb.
@dabba, superdabba,
yeah i know what you mean. I have not seen Fall as you know it was clashing with my film at IFFLA…so I will believe whatever you people are saying as I think it will never get a release in India…will be happy if it happens…
I remember Raj Mandir in Jaipur. I went to see Kal Ho Na Ho…woke up after the film finished. Maybe I was too tired to enjoy the film and the seats were very comfortable, and yes I was with a lady…
I was in France some time back and I charmed the ladies at the festival by doing the SRK gig…you know, standing with his back to the screen and spreading his arms in slo-mo and turning around,lower jaw quivering…well the guy has got something…
So making a good film doesn’t ensure distribution…I have been told by the “seniors” everywhere is that what matters is a release…whatever be the film.
I know one day PFC guys will rip me but it doesn’t make sense to make films which are appreciated but not released and people love SRK and the other Khans…whatever marketing strategy they employ.
@ Dabba -
Anyway, I think you hit the nail right on the head! Perhaps when we appreciate the more sentimental Hindi films we are looking for good ol’ fashioned values… And a great dose of escapism… I have a theory that Indian cinema will only spread wider and become even more successful, the more wars and horrible acts of nature we are subjected to as a population. Make any sense?! I mean, I admit to just seeing Sex and the City – EVERY NYC woman was ordered legally to do so this opening weekend ;-))) – and both SATC and the upcoming Mamma Mia seem like Americanized Bollywood films!
Writing, you can see on my own blog or scattered about at Chic Today and a few other upcoming places. I celebrate singledom… with movies, chocolates and journeys around the world…
p.s. OH, and LOADS of friends!
@ shivajee –
make a good genre film (thriller, horror, B movie pulp, comedy). If it is good you will get distribution. They know how to package and sell genre films.
dramas are the hardest, unless it has some uplifting/triumphant story.
@ nina –
i’ going to watch SATC this week, but i’m afraid i may die of OD on estrogen. May have to sneak in to The Strangers after that to reclaim my manhood.
Watch “Bigger Stronger Faster” as a triple play.
@ Dabba –
You may not be the ONLY man there, but it will still feel like it. Get there for the previews and you’ll sneak a peak at the Mamma Mia trailer which just ROCKS!
Well, as u rightly mentioned DABBA tarsem singh is a highly talented film maker and his first feature film THE CELL gave me a differnet high altogether in terms of the visual representation of the film…
Though it might not have had a convincing plot line or he might have used an oft repeated tale, the way he narrated the story and the execution just takes ur breath away…Its really disappointing that a movie like THE CELL did not het a cinematic release in INDIA…..
As said,there are 10 different ways of narrating a story i think TARSEM SINGH chose a completely different technique of narrating a cops versus robbers tale….HATS OFF TO HIM…
I hope that his second cinematic venture gets a proper theatrical release in INDIA….
Awaiting THE FALL eagerly….
@ mudassir,
After 7 became a hit in 97, studios were tripping over each other to make the next serial killa film starring morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd.
Do you remember the spate of those films. The cell stood out among these films purely because of tarsem’s artistry.
I hope the fall releases in india.
welcome back guruji. majaa aaya, as usual. this time the discussion went all around the world. checked out nina’s blog. interesting perspectives, fun topic. tarsem. indie/commercial standpoint. the western obsession with SRK and the stereotypes.free DVD strategy….
handheld or not. i guess we need to stop giving it that much distinction. intimate film will remain intimate. be it the lesbian angle in rent or the handheld favorites.
I am yet to form a persepctive, but ya, learning slowly inshallah.
tarsem had just started dropping those godfather lines when the video froze on me.looks like a good interview. reading the AV Club stuff now.
If someone here is from bangalore and gets a chance a lay his hand on this one , plz pass me on :P
I showed the trailor to some friends to share my enthusiasm , but they were quick to dismiss it with comments like pan’s labyrinth on roids. :P
I hope watching it will prove otherwise,.. for me pan’s labyrinth is like another alice in wonderland story or another adventure up the faraway tree…
@ tushi- thanks.
You’re in Chicago right? Go watch the movie immediately!
Tushi in chicago ? again?
@ sg
I don’t know when the DVD is supposed to release. May be in a month or so.
Subrat is in Bangalore. When he gets the DVD perhaps he can do a screening.
Thanks subrat.
I am all up for a Bl’ore screening. will talk to Sid when I get there. may be we can do a retro showcasing similar ones in the league.
dabba, where in chicago can I catch it? I didnt see in the amc and muvico ones.
@ tushi
It’s playing at the landmark century on north Clark.
Also, there is this invention called google.
lol. ok, I ll see if I can catch it next weekend, as this weekend its The Blues assault.
Dabba@49: When have I ever refused you. I will plan a screening and send you a club class return ticket to Bangalore as well.
naye airport ka cab ticket bhi bhej dena :-)
Catinca (Alexandria) had this too say about India.
“As the shooting took place in more than 20 locations around the world, Catinca was most impressed with India. Upon her return in Romania, she said, “India is like a beautiful woman whose eyes you can’t see.” Questioned further about her statement, Catinca said, “You can only see its eyes when you get to know it better.”
FALL is the best children’s film for adults. If that made sense.
Mitch stop looking for pirated copies when its playing in LA. Support good cinema.
Everybody. Go watch Fall.
I saw The Fall last week. Fantastic film but it is not for everyone. If you are looking for a straightforward film, do not watch this. But if you are willing to accept the film’s conceit, you might love it.
The Cell was problematic because it tried to shoehorn Tarsem’s style into a stock serial-killer story. Tarsem’s style requires something looser, less plot-based. IOW you have to take it on its own terms.
@ axw11, Ravi K, mainak -
thanks for sharing.
a promise is a promise.