One critic on Rottentomatoes.com (where you can also find a synopsis) commented that “It looks spectacular, but a book of The Fall photographs would be just as compelling as the movie.” True, the images display an abstract, staged beauty that invites aesthetic appreciation, but fails to evoke a more emotional response. (Check out the films very handsome website) There's not much character development in the bandit story, either, that would particularly endear the protagonists to the viewer. But the fairy tale with its fantastic visuals has one unexpected effect. In juxtaposition, the small, private spaces in the hospital seem really intimate, and let our attention focus on the warmth and closeness between the stuntman and the girl. It’s a tried–and–true artist’s device to demonstrate the awe-inspiring size of a mountain by placing a tiny, cozy cabin at the foot of it. In The Fall the opposite is true. The grand landscapes lead me to appreciate the human scale, i.e. the soul & sweetness in the small scenes played out beside it. Actors Lee Pace and Catinca Untaro are both adorable.
