This British sci-fi flick starring David Bowie as a sad lonely alien who ends up wandering around the Earth trying to get back to his home planet is pretty cool as far as the visuals go but I can't say much for the actual narrative. It's all very uninspiring as the main plot deals with a character who can't relate to the humanity around him and I felt just as unable to relate to Bowie's character while I watched it which doesn't really help make the point that I think the filmmakers were going for. I know our alien here is supposed to be a metaphor for the feeling of alienation within modern society and all that but I just didn't really care enough about what happens since it's all done in such an artsy artificial style. I do give the movie credit for being very out-there and strange which you don't see much in the safe world of sci-fi cookie-cutter movies made after STAR WARS hit, I just personally couldn't get into it. Maybe if I turned off the sound and played some Ziggy Stardust tunes over the visuals it would be more comprehensible. Remade as a TV movie in 87 which I can't imagine was very good.
The Man Who Fell to Earth looks like its worth watching. The theme of alienation in this movie is similar to Taxi Driver released the same year. The theme of alienation is interesting in movies and in literature.
ReplyDeleteExcept TAXI DRIVER conveys the theme of alienation a whole lot better and also DeNiro was a way better actor than Bowie ever was.
ReplyDelete