The Fall

I always find it compelling when heavy themes such as death or suicide are shown from the simple and innocent perspective of a child - if done well off course. Here it works especially well because a large part of the film entails a kind of children’s bedtime story which makes the contrast with the heavier themes greater. This bedtime story is shown to us in a truly remarkable way. The backgrounds and ‘sets’ seem surreal and fabricated but are in fact all real locations which are the result of filming in 28 countries for 4 years. These surreal locations are filled with an abundance of colours, creating something straight out of a kid’s imagination.  Watching the 4K restoration (on MUBI) is a must. It makes this dreamlike fantasy all the more rich and colourful. I understand that this might not be for everyone but as Roger Ebert said about The Fall: “… a movie that you might want to see for no other reason than because it exists. There will never be another like it”.