As a cinephile who has spent countless hours immersed in the rich tapestry of global cinema, I find myself captivated by Tarsem Singh‘s journey with “The Fall.” The restoration of this visually stunning film, a tale woven from the threads of a 1920s Los Angeles backdrop, is nothing short of a labor of love.
Director Tarsem Singh has finished a 4K restoration of the visually stunning 2006 movie “The Fall,” reinstating deleted scenes and making adjustments to improve the overall watchability.
The remade movie, detailing the narrative of a wounded stuntman (played by Lee Pace) who spins an intricate yarn for a young girl (Catinca Untaru) in 1920s LA, is scheduled to be shown at the Locarno Film Festival.
In a conversation with EbMaster, Singh disclosed that the restoration process commenced due to fans inquiring for years about why the film wasn’t more accessible. “Fans were purchasing it for $200-$300 on Amazon and eBay, complaining all the while,” Singh explained. “I came to understand that I needed to address this issue.”
The revised edition runs approximately two minutes more than the initial movie release. Singh mentioned that he re-included two scenes he had previously edited out, one of which included a character portraying a priest. Singh explained that this actor accompanied him throughout India for two months, and he gave him an unflattering haircut to match a specific mountain during a particular dissolve. However, the scene that warranted his unique haircut was later removed from the movie.
Singh additionally introduced an opening title for the movie, saying “Once Upon a Time in Los Angeles”. He explained, “It’s like a grown-up’s fairy tale, but it can be tough to market because people don’t know where to classify it.” Regrettably, he admitted, “I wish I hadn’t removed that line.”
Restoring the 4K quality of the project was a challenging task for Singh and his colleagues. Lionel Kopp, co-producer, and Alexis Cadorette Vigneau, technical supervisor, led the hunt for the original 4K files that had been dispersed after several production companies shut down. It was found that some visual effects were incomplete at 4K resolution, thus requiring a revisit to the original components. As Singh explained, “For certain aspects, we needed to go back to the originals and locate them. After that, we restored everything.”
Singh further delved into the timeless aspect of “The Fall,” likening it to a movie that was made ahead of its time. He pointed out Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini as his inspiration for this perspective. “I aspired to create films like those of Pasolini,” he said, “and I noticed that they never seemed to age; instead, they appeared just as fresh as when they were first released.” Explaining the concept of being ahead of its time, Singh stated, “When you watch it, it may seem a bit outdated. However, over time, everything around it will become outdated, while the film itself remains unchanged.”
The origins of “The Fall” can be traced back to Singh’s upbringing in Shimla, India, and it draws inspiration from the script of a 1981 Bulgarian film called “Yo Ho Ho,” written by Valeri Petrov. Singh combined this basis with his personal experiences, such as memories of a teacher, Mrs. Anand, whose storytelling ability greatly influenced him as a young filmmaker. This amalgamation, along with his unique perspectives on Western media that he encountered during childhood trips to Iran where his father worked, resulted in the distinctive narrative structure of “The Fall.”
In his own words, Singh shared that he watched significantly more movies than most people, including those shown on TV. However, these films were in languages he didn’t comprehend. Instead, they were dubbed into Persian, without the use of a laugh track. This unique viewing experience inspired some imaginative storytelling when he went back to school in India.
In simpler terms, Singh stated, “Often, my friends would remark, ‘Hey, you should share with us about this fantastic character who was like James Bond and had a phone hidden in his shoe. He’d always manage to escape tricky situations.’ This brings to mind the 1960s comedy series ‘Get Smart.’ To someone from India, it’s not surprising for a person in trouble to have a phone secretly stored in their footwear.”
Singh went on to praise Mrs. Anand’s storytelling abilities, explaining how she skillfully merged real-world events with fictional elements within her narratives. “She would spin yarns about James Bond joining forces with the bandit Maan Singh, and together they were resolving the Watergate crisis,” Singh explained. “The Watergate scandal was a topic we were familiar with, as we knew about America and the troubles surrounding a man named Nixon. Hearing these stories was incredibly engaging.”
The movie director, collaborating financially with his brother, filmed “The Fall” in 24 different nations without a finalized script or timeline. Working alongside his young Romanian actress, Catinca Untaru, he shot each scene sequentially. He commended actor Lee Pace for his knack at adapting to an improvisational style while still upholding the story’s framework.
“Lee Pace is taking care of her, engaging with her, and ensuring the narrative follows its intended structure,” Singh explained. “Each day, one benefit for me was that we filmed the movie consecutively. So I would inform him daily what we were working on… he needed to ensure that the story generally moved in the direction we were heading.”
It was disclosed by Singh that the majority of the crew, including Untaru, were oblivious to the fact that Pace wasn’t really paralyzed during filming. He explained, “Nobody was aware; even the camera operator Colin [Watkinson] didn’t know.” After all the shooting had been completed, Singh had to inform them, which caused quite a stir on set.
The director is currently discussing the remastering of his first full-length film from 2000, “The Cell,” featuring Jennifer Lopez, in high-definition 4K. In recent developments, we received a call about a potential 4K restoration. As new entities have acquired the rights to “The Cell” due to its increasing demand at film festivals, a fully restored version of this film is expected to be released soon.
Art-focused streaming service Mubi has secured worldwide distribution rights for the film “The Fall,” which it plans to release in cinemas globally on September 27. This rollout will cover various regions such as North America, Latin America, the United Kingdom, Europe, Turkey, and India. For territories not covered by Mubi, The Match Factory is handling the sales.
The renovated edition is all set for a grand debut at Locarno, happening on the festival’s famous Piazza Grande on August 8th. After its initial theater release, it will also be available on Mubi’s streaming platform.
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2024-08-08 14:47