The Man Who Fell to Earth, 1976. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 11.

Hello, and welcome into My Journey into Science Fiction Part 11. David Bowie is the very first music artist I can remember as a child. If I remember correctly, it was his album Aladdin Sane that first caught my attention. There was something strange and hypnotic about that album cover, and the iconic image still stands out to me today. It is only recently that I have started to go deeper into his music, life and movies, and it is fantastic. Directed by Nicolas Roeg and written by Paul Mayersberg, The Man Who Fell to Earth, 1976 was based on a book by the same name by Walter Tevis. Rolling Stone Magazine ranked it 2nd in the best Sci-fi movies of the 1970’s, and Empire ranked it number 42 in the top 100 best British films.

 Thomas Jerome Newton is the man who fell to Earth. His mission is to take home water to his drought-ridden planet. Newton has a plan to help make that mission a success, which includes gathering as much wealth as possible, to help build a ship to return to his planet and save his family. That wealth becomes available instantly, Thomas uses advanced technologies that we have never on Earth. All this comes under the business name of World Enterprises Corporation, and phase one of his plan is up and running. Newton meets Mary-Lou Candy Clark who starts to introduce him to a way of life he might not have found on his own. 

Newton also strikes up a friendship with another person, Dr Nathan Bryce Rip Torn. Bryce deceives Newton, and secretly gathers evidence to prove that Newton is an alien. Newton, realising that the truth about him may become known, decides to show Mary-Lou his true self. Mary-Lou is shocked beyond imagination and leaves him. Anyway, back to the plan and Newton’s ship is ready for launch, enabling him to complete his mission. Newton leaves to take his flight, until the government steps in to halt all proceedings, Dr Bryce has exposed him and he is taken away for medical testing.

Years later, and Newton’s mission has all but failed, he is also still being held, and undergoing scientific study. He is visited by Mary-Lou who is looking older by now, after a game of table tennis they finally decide they don’t love each other anymore. Mary-Lou leaves and Newton realises he is longer held captive anymore and is free to leave. Newton decides the only thing he can do now is to try and send a message to his family, which comes in the shape of a music album. Bryce recognises this is the work of Newton and tracks him down. Newton looks down, depressed and given up hope of ever getting back to his home.

This film is completely enriched with all the trappings of a rock star in the seventies. I think this is why I found it so hard to describe those elements into the plot of the film, as I kept referring back to them as I wrote it. It is famously known that Bowie was deep into his cocaine addiction during filming and it shows. I loved watching Newton drinking water from the lake, as it gave a feeling of tranquility, as opposed to living a life of decadence and misery, slightly more human perhaps. I loved the artistic approach to the movie, but I felt that moments in the film took me away from the original story and became reminiscent of a music video.  I was disappointed that it was not David Bowie that had created the soundtrack to this film, as it might have felt a more significant part of his musical journey. As many know, Bowie was in a very interesting stage in his recording career, and Low featured his artwork from the film. Don’t get me wrong, this film has some really great visuals and looks fantastic. I thought this film had such a wonderful premise to work with, but decided to show us people playing naked table tennis, unneeded sex scenes and a lot of art-house imagery that was too much for me. There is a great film in there somewhere, so I did enjoy it. If only the director would have concentrated on the plot a lot more, instead of the abstract. However,  I am glad I have finally watched it, and I will go back and revisit it again. It’s unique, refreshing, but shows the destruction of decadence, which doesn’t appeal to me anymore. Alternatively, that could be the very point it is trying to make. 

So,  where to next in My Journey into Science-Fiction Part 12? I must admit, it’s been hard to find any kind of a link to my next review, but a wonderful connection has been found. Rip Torn, who played Dr Nathan Bryce In The Man Who Fell to Earth, also starred in the RoboCop Franchise. So next, I will be looking at RoboCop 1987, directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Edward Neumeier.

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