Tarsem Singh made a name for himself through his directorial work on music videos. His video for R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion” earned him a Grammy. In 2000, he made his feature directorial debut with Jennifer Lopez’s starrer “The Cell.” Then, in 2006, he made “The Fall, ” which was his labor of love. This fantasy adventure film looks stunning even after 18 years of its release.
Set in several locations across India, it follows a stunt performer during the silent era filmmaking days. He suffers a tragic accident on a film set that nearly paralyzes him. In the hospital, he meets an immigrant girl, Alexandria, who offers him company. He starts telling stories about her namesake, Alexander the Great, while mostly constructing a fictional narrative every beat. She gets so hooked on this story that she starts pitching ideas to shape it further.
Through their mutual journey, “The Fall” builds a fantastical narrative intersecting their real lives. It reflects on the ideas of heartbreak, pain, and letting go without losing sight of its core: the magic of storytelling. However, despite its creative merit, the film didn’t receive the kind of audience it deserved. Thanks to the folks at Mubi, I got a chance to interview the film’s director, Tarsem Singh, on the occasion of his 4K version re-release.
I knew that he had self-financed “The Fall.” So, I asked him about his conviction in this creative vision and how he looks back at this experience after almost two decades. During our conversation, Tarsem spoke about the circumstances that led him to pursue this project. Upon its release, the film was not generously received by the audience. Tarsem reflects upon how it was considered ‘pre-dated’ at the time. Over time, it changed since viewers did not look for a modern film but experienced the film on its own terms. So, it became a cult classic.
Due to its limited theatrical release, many movie lovers had to look for other options like DVDs. However, it was not in the quality Tarsem intended it to be. Finally, last year, he met Mubi reps and decided to proceed with a restoration plan. “We had finished it originally in 4K. But none of the elements were there”, Tarsem reveals. After he met with people from Mubi, he found the unfinished 4K version and put back some scenes in the film as he wanted to during the process. Now, with the additional scenes, the film is about 2.5 minutes longer.
Despite these hiccups, Tarsem has had a fascinating career. Be it his work for R.E.M., Lady Gaga’s 911, or the Pepsi commercial he directed with a gladiator theme, his Indian identity becomes apparent through his work that is vibrant, colorful, and often grand. “The Fall” shares the same DNA and cleverly takes advantage of tonal contrasts during shot transitions. Speaking about his primary inspiration, Tarsem reveals that he initially wanted to construct the film in a contemporary setting. However, he decided to go with an almost pre-cinema setting since, back then, people had no idea what cinema looked like. “Everyone now knows what a cowboy story looks like. But we wanted a blank canvas. That’s how we decided to go with a pre-cinema setting,” he reveals.
When asked about his film recommendations for our readers, Tarsem mentioned Jonathan Glazer’s polarising “The Birth.” “Glazer’s previous film, “Sexy Beast,” found its audience, but “The Birth” is still polarizing,” he said. He spoke about his interest in similar works that have polarised viewers or critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Then, he also offered a few more recommendations, including Christopher Nolan’s “The Prestige,” which is his favorite film by Nolan.
“If someone is going to make a mystery about quantum physics and pull it off, I’m on your side forever,” Tarsem says when speaking about the Oppenheimer director. Then, he suggests watching anything that David Fincher and Spike Jonze made. “Except Alien 3, which Fincher later disowned”, he adds! He calls Chris Marker’s “La Jetee” his favorite film and recommends any work by Marker.
The 4k restoration of Tarsem’s “The Fall” just premiered at the Locarno Film Festival. Later, it will be streaming exclusively on Mubi from 27th September. While speaking about the restoration, he says he wants people to have the experience as he intended. “Do not watch it in a shitty quality. Rather, invest for a good experience,” he adds.
