Rent The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)

Cosmic Dave - The Man Who Fell to Earth review by Steve

Cult sci-fi parable/head movie about a solitary alien who comes to Earth in search of a means to take water back to his dying planet, but is compromised. Its big idea- from Walter Tevis' novel- is the spaceman is corrupted by an acquired humanness...

Which now seems to have become a popular science fiction motif. There is some topicality in his planet being advanced in electronics, but has turned into a desert due to the heat and aridity. But on release, the main interest was in the stunt casting of David Bowie.

Though a limited actor, he looks astonishing as the wan, diaphanous extraterrestrial who sets up a corporation to front and finance his real project, but is ultimately subverted by the humanity he learns from tv. And then neutralised by earthly capitalists.

It's quite long, with most of the best scenes in the first half, but looks stunning, with the arthouse photography, the futuristic set design and SFX and especially the otherworldly atmosphere of the New Mexico desert. This is Nicolas Roeg still at about his peak.

Bowie is low key in this adaptation - The Man Who Fell to Earth review by DR

This film failed to capture the subtlety, power, and suspense of the novel.

Bowie's other-worldliness was directed as understated behaviour. The female lead was modified to cast a much younger woman, presumably to sex-up the story. Bowie can be very powerful, e.g. in Labrynth, when properly directed.

Bowie's dramatic arrival on earth was well handled, considering that the film dated from 1976. Shots of the family left behind were primitive however. Continuity was poor and the narrative too obvious.

One Of The Great SciFi Films of the 70s - The Man Who Fell to Earth review by GI

A rich, compelling and enigmatic science fiction film from director Nicolas Roeg. This is one of the great science fiction films of the 1970s and often underrated due to its complex structure and narrative. Perfectly cast, David Bowie is Thomas Jerome Newton an alien from a planet dying through drought. Having left his family behind Newton has travelled to Earth in order to take back precious water supplies. To do this he builds a multi-billion dollar corporation that he then attempts to use to build a spacecraft for the return home. He is thwarted by a shady organisation trying to protect the economy of the world from the dominance of Newton's company and it's power but also by his exposure to human vices especially alcohol and sex. The story unfolds through Newton's relationship with Mary-Lou (Candy Clark), a humble hotel valet who becomes his lover and introduces him to drink and debauchery. There's lots to observe in this film which, on first viewing, will baffle and confound, and I always advise first timers to just go with the film and not try to unravel it's sub-texts and meanings as many will remain a mystery. This is typical of Roeg and many of his films are complex and defy easy analysis. But The Man Who Fell To Earth is a powerful film with themes of corruption, human greed and vice. It has some quite extreme sex scenes for it's time and the big reveal of Newton's true form remains a quite horrific and unsettling scene. With Rip Torn as a scientist who works for Newton and begins to suspect what he really is and Buck Henry as the lawyer who helps him set up the corporation this is a great film. It won't be what you'd expect from a normal science fiction film but it will leave an impression.