Anyhoo, I just wanted to talk a bit about one of my favorite movies EVER. "The Fall". Directed by Tarsem Singh, starring Lee Pace of "Pushing Daisies" (ahem. I LOVE THAT SHOW SO MUCH I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU BUT IT WILL HAVE TO WAIT FOR ANOTHER POST).
So. The Fall.
I first heard about this show when I was looking up Lee Pace. I clicked on the link for this movie on imdb.com and started reading about it. The story really captured me and the movie stills I saw were incredible, so I looked for a way to watch it online and that's how I first saw it. I really researched it beforehand and struggled with the fact that I was aware of the its rating before I watched it.
It was rated R.
For some people, that's really not a big deal, which is fine. I mean, to each their own. I'm not gonna tell anyone what they can or cannot watch. But for me, it gave me pause. I've always been very "NO. NO RATED R MOVIES EVER." For pretty much my whole life.
Although in full disclosure, I have seen 2 Rated R movies. 3, including The Fall. The first I saw was "Billy Elliot" when I was, like 12. I had no idea what it was rated and I didn't find out til afterward. My mom even rented it for me. I'm pretty sure she's not aware of that, but I guess she is now. : ) I liked the movie, but it was British, so I didn't understand half the dialog. Which is a good thing because the reason it was Rated R was because of language. I think.
The second movie I saw I borrowed from a friend. He highly recommended it, so I watched it. The rating wasn't clearly displayed on the case, but I had my suspicions. Once again, for language. It was "The Blues Brothers" with John Belushi and Dan Akroyd. I had heard references to it for years and after seeing it, I finally understood the inside jokes and everything. I liked it. But I don't think I need to see it again.
This is a still from the opening scenes of the movie. Gorgeous.
So, The Fall was the first movie that I watched knowing full well that it was Rated R. Let me explain a bit why I did. On imdb, there's a link on the movie's site where you can see all the reasons for its rating. Language, nudity, drugs, violence, etc. I clicked on that for The Fall and saw that there was no nudity, no language, a small amount of violence, and a small drug reference to Morphine. That's all. And there's the subject matter as well, which I will also explain in a bit.
Now I'm not trying to rationalize my actions. I knew what I was doing. I'm just telling you that I was well-informed of the entire matter before I made my decision to watch it.
Our heroes meet the Mystic. Look at that sky! And the reflection in the lake! Love.
As for the violence? There are a couple people who are shot or stabbed. There's a bit of blood splatter and fisticuffs. But honestly? I've seen worse on CSI or Bones! Bones, seriously. There's an episode I watched last week where a woman's head completely exploded after being shot with a high-powered rifle. And you pretty much see the whole thing! And there's blood squirting out of her neck and stuff. It was seriously gross. I love that show, but I really can't watch it while eating. Ever. *gag* The Fall has nothing as bad as that!
Alexandria visits Roy. I love their dynamic.
And for the subject matter and drug reference...well, I'll just sort of tell you the storyline to explain.
It's the story of a 9-year-old girl named Alexandria with a broken arm who's stuck in a hospital while her arm heals. She befriends a man named Roy (Lee Pace) who is confined to a bed after falling from a horse and injuring his back while doing a stunt for a silent film. (I can't remember what the actual date period is, but I'm thinking the '30s?) So Roy starts telling her this elaborate story to keep her entertained and to also coerce the little girl into getting a full bottle of morphine for him to "help him sleep" (it is implied that it's to take his own life, but never actually said as suicide explicitly). That would be the "subject matter" that I guess contributed to the higher rating.
A mounted butterfly transitions into a sandy island surrounded by
a butterfly-shaped reef. One of my favorite visuals.
I don't want to give too much of the story away in case you choose to see the movie. It is truly one of the best movies I've seen. All of these pictures are from the movie. Amazing, aren't they? The entire film is just visually stunning and so moving. The performance by Lee Pace is incredible, and I don't know how they got that little girl to cry so much! She did a great job.
I was watching the Special Features on the DVD and I discovered that Lee Pace was actually in a wheel chair the entire time he was playing Roy. They didn't tell Catinca (who played Alexandria) that he could walk until after they filmed the last scene at the hospital. I find that amazing. I don't know if it was because Lee is a method actor, or just to make it easier and less confusing on the little girl. She also called him "Roy" the whole time, on and off set. I suppose so she wouldn't say the wrong name. Completely brilliant performance from both of them!
The surrounding figures are people twirling, which seems bizarre, but
somehow fits just perfectly in the scene.
Anyway, so I'm not saying that I'm all about Rated R movies now. I haven't seen one since. I do own "The Fall", but it's the only Rated R movie I have. I watched it just yesterday and it still makes my mind reel. I love it. And I'll see it again. And again and again.
This is a video of the opening scene of the film. Along with the visual brilliance there is also the music which just blows me away. They included my absolute favorite symphony, Beethoven's 7th, 2nd movement. I really love it. And if you never see the movie, at least watch this. The black and white with the music and slow motion? I can't even explain how great it is. Just watch:
The lovely Lee Pace, who also plays the Masked Bandit in
the story Roy tells. But I like him unmasked. ; )
And I thank the glorious Lee Pace for bringing it to my attention. *stares at the picture, drools*
Hm? What? Oh, right. Ahem. So, yeah. This is my little "controversial" blog post. Comment at your leisure. Remember, no judgments here. As long as you do me the same courtesy. : )
Until next time...
This is also one of my favorite movies! So amazing and beautiful. And the storyline and the actors are so good...so believable!
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