The Falls (1980)

The planet has been affected by a mysterious occurrence known as the Violent Unknown Event, or V.U.E. It has caused immortality and disability. Victims have learned new and peculiar ... See full summary »

Director:

Peter Greenaway

Writer:

Peter Greenaway

Stars:

Peter Westley, Aad Wirtz, Michael Murray

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Westley
Aad Wirtz
Michael Murray
Lorna Poulter
Patricia Carr
Adam Leys	...	Narrator
Mary Howard
Sheila Canfield	...	Narrator
Evelyn Owen
Hilary Thompson	...	Narrator
Carole Meyer
Monica Hyde
Colleen Thomas
Neil Hopkins
Dewi Thomas

Storyline

The planet has been affected by a mysterious occurrence known as the Violent Unknown Event, or V.U.E. It has caused immortality and disability. Victims have learned new and peculiar languages. Some firmly believe in the responsibility of birds. In this three-hour film, ninety-two biographies are presented of victims whose surnames begin with the letters F A L L. Presented in the mock documentary style of 'Water Wrackets' and 'Dear Phone', this is the culmination of the first period of Greenaway's work. It refers to shorts such as 'A Walk Through H' and 'Vertical Features Remake', and forwards to the likes of 'Drowning by Numbers' (there is reference to the three generations of Cissie Colpitts). Michael Nyman's sound-track is memorable; he later remade the 'Bird List Song' (which features in a variety of forms), as 'Hands 2 Take' with arty British band the Flying Lizards (best known for their minimal version of 'Money (that's what I want)'.

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Plot Keywords:

bird | surrealism | fake documentary | immortality | experimental film | 

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Genres:

Sci-Fi

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English Dutch French German

Release Date:

24 July 1996 (France)

Also Known As:

Balesetek krónikája

Filming Locations:

Abersoch, Gwynedd, Wales, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Film Institute (BFI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

195 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Fragments of director Peter Greenaway's short films A Walk Through H: The Reincarnation of an Ornithologist (1979) and Vertical Features Remake (1978) appear in the film.

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Connections

References Wings (1927)

User Reviews

A Three Hour Shaggy Dog Story

I'm a big fan of Greenaway's works and I jumped at the chance to check out this early work by the director on video.

I can't add to what others have said here except to say that it's an excrutiating experience that doesn't have enough humor to keep your interest for the full running time.

At its best, "The Falls" is an interesting and sometimes funny curiosity that points to themes Greenaway would return to again and again in his later work; at its worst, "The Falls" is a tedious experiment.