...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!

The Man Who Fell to Earth

358 statements
70 feature instances
26 referencing feature instances

The Man Who Fell to Earth	type	TVTItem
The Man Who Fell to Earth	label	The Man Who Fell to Earth
The Man Who Fell to Earth	page	TheManWhoFellToEarth
The Man Who Fell to Earth	comment	Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_1'); })The Man Who Fell to Earth is a 1976 sci-fi film directed by Nicolas Roeg, based upon the novel of the same name by Walter Tevis (of The Hustler (1961) fame). It stars the thin, other-worldly David Bowie as the thin, other-worldly Thomas Jerome Newton in his first major film role.The film centers around an extraterrestrial who journeys to Earth after his planet experiences an intense drought, determined to find a way to ship water to it. As he amasses a fortune with a variety of high-tech inventions, intending to use the money to build a ship that will solve his planet's problem, he embarks upon a love affair with a simple girl named Mary-Lou, which is nice, one supposes. Thomas also ends up starting a love affair with television and alcohol, which is a lot less nice, one supposes. To reveal any more would delve this into spoiler city. Let's simply say the ending is... sad.Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_2'); })In late 2015 Lazarus, a musical stage play Inspired by… the source novel debuted off-Broadway. It was written by Enda Walsh and...David Bowie, who didn't appear in the show but contributed several new songs to it, as well as new versions of songs from his catalog. Michael C. Hall played Thomas in the world premiere staging, which was one of the last works Bowie realized in his lifetime— his final public appearance was at the show's opening night, and his studio recordings of the songs he wrote for it were later included on the 2017 posthumous EP No Plan.
The Man Who Fell to Earth	fetched	2022-08-18T15:40:54Z
The Man Who Fell to Earth	parsed	2022-08-18T15:40:54Z
The Man Who Fell to Earth	isPartOf	DBTropes
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_1044a759	type	Dying Race
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_1044a759	comment	Dying Race: Thomas's, due to the drought.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_1044a759	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_1044a759	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_1044a759
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_1049848f	type	Aliens Speaking English
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_1049848f	comment	Aliens Speaking English: Thomas. The flashbacks to his homeworld have no dialogue, so we have no idea what his native tongue is like, but we can assume he learned English as part of preparing for his mission.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_1049848f	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_1049848f	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_1049848f
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_14ed6ab7	type	Does This Remind You of Anything?
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_14ed6ab7	comment	Does This Remind You of Anything?: The film can be seen as a metaphor for fame.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_14ed6ab7	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_14ed6ab7	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_14ed6ab7
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_1c5002bc	type	The Stoic
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_1c5002bc	comment	The Stoic: In the film, Thomas is a quiet soul whose emotionlessness rarely cracks; when it does it is usually when he is frightened and/or in physical pain. He was more emotional in the book, particularly at the end. There were several instances in the original screenplay where he was meant to shed tears, but those scenes were either not filmed, or left out of the final cut, for whatever reason.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_1c5002bc	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_1c5002bc	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_1c5002bc
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_25f0ed12	type	Hollywood Tone-Deaf
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_25f0ed12	comment	Hollywood Tone-Deaf: Thomas is shown to be this when he attempts to sing the hymns at church; bonus points for being played by David Bowie. Implicitly subverted at the end of the film, though, when it's revealed that Thomas has recorded a whole music album to broadcast as a goodbye to his family back on his home planet.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_25f0ed12	featureApplicability	-0.3
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_25f0ed12	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_25f0ed12
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_2b14367f	type	Bring My Brown Pants
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_2b14367f	comment	Bring My Brown Pants: Played for Drama — Mary-Lou wets herself upon seeing Thomas's true form.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_2b14367f	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_2b14367f	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_2b14367f
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_32976084	type	Destination Defenestration
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_32976084	comment	Destination Defenestration: Farnsworth, after refusing to sell World Enterprises.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_32976084	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_32976084	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_32976084
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_393ec3f9	type	Zeerust
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_393ec3f9	comment	Zeerust: The alien tech Thomas brings to Earth, such as self-developing camera film and a music player that uses little spheres instead of vinyl records, comes off as this now.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_393ec3f9	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_393ec3f9	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_393ec3f9
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_3b9a79a	type	HotForStudent
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_3b9a79a	comment	Hot for Student: Dr. Nathan Bryce teaches some extra credit lessons to some of his female students...
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_3b9a79a	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_3b9a79a	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_3b9a79a
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_424d15ad	type	Love Hurts
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_424d15ad	comment	Love Hurts: Especially when you're light-years away from your family and your relationship with your mistress is going sour...
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_424d15ad	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_424d15ad	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_424d15ad
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_44749cee	type	Nothing but Skin and Bones
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_44749cee	comment	Nothing but Skin and Bones: Mary-Lou comments on Thomas's thinness.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_44749cee	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_44749cee	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_44749cee
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_49180a5f	type	Non-Actor Vehicle
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_49180a5f	comment	Non-Actor Vehicle: Though David Bowie was formally trained in acting and mime, he was generally known as just a musician before his major film debut here.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_49180a5f	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_49180a5f	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_49180a5f
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_4ac8b81f	type	Humans Are the Real Monsters
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_4ac8b81f	comment	Humans Are the Real Monsters: Averted. Thomas tells Nathan, when all is said and done, "We'd have probably done the same to you, if you'd come 'round our place."
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_4ac8b81f	featureApplicability	-1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_4ac8b81f	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_4ac8b81f
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_4e3d253b	type	Downer Ending
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_4e3d253b	comment	Downer Ending: Oh yes. Thomas slips into alcoholism, is captured by the government and experimented on for years, fails his planet, lets his family die, and loses the only thing he has left to love on Earth. The book goes one "better": Thomas's ordeal is revealed to the public and starts America down a political path towards nuclear war...had his plan succeeded that would have been prevented.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_4e3d253b	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_4e3d253b	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_4e3d253b
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_50488b6e	type	Freaky Is Cool
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_50488b6e	comment	Freaky Is Cool: Early on in their relationship, Mary-Lou says "You know Tommy, you're a freak. I don't mean that unkindly. I like freaks. And that's why I like you." (Sadly, when she sees his true form it becomes clear there's only so much freakiness she can take.)
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_50488b6e	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_50488b6e	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_50488b6e
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_53c9fc92	type	Flashback
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_53c9fc92	comment	Flashback: Many to Thomas's homeworld and family, revealing not only the sequence of events that forced him to leave on his mission but (in the sequence in which Mary-Lou rejects his true form) how his kind have sex. Later, the audience is also privy to what his family are doing in his absence.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_53c9fc92	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_53c9fc92	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_53c9fc92
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_5a4ae281	type	Hellish Pupils
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_5a4ae281	comment	Hellish Pupils: Subversion, since it's the hero who has them. Thomas's undisguised eyes are reptilian yellow ones, slit irises and all, and the usual way this trope plays out is likely one reason his true form freaks Mary-Lou out so badly.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_5a4ae281	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_5a4ae281	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_5a4ae281
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_5fb6411f	type	We Are as Mayflies
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_5fb6411f	comment	We Are as Mayflies: The film takes place over the course of several decades, during which the major characters age from young adults into old age. Newton, however, remains the same.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_5fb6411f	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_5fb6411f	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_5fb6411f
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_634c5775	type	Came from the Sky
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_634c5775	comment	Came from the Sky: It's right there in the title.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_634c5775	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_634c5775	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_634c5775
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_6b27162d	type	The Remake
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_6b27162d	comment	The Remake: A 1987 Made-for-TV Movie that credited both the novel and screenplay but made plenty of changes, in part because it was intended to launch a Recycled: The Series.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_6b27162d	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_6b27162d	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_6b27162d
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_6b5a92dc	type	Uncanny Valley
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_6b5a92dc	comment	Uncanny Valley: What happens when you cast David Bowie as a waif-like alien visitor. Even in his human disguise, the long black coat and hat that Thomas arrived in are... not quite right for the context. When we first see him, he's disguised as human, but his thinness and clothes make him look like a scarecrow, which serves to remind the audience visually of Thomas' otherworldly origin.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_6b5a92dc	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_6b5a92dc	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_6b5a92dc
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_6bda9a30	type	Meaningful Name
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_6bda9a30	comment	Meaningful Name: Newton, as Roger Ebert noted in his 2011 review (when the film was given a reissue on the arthouse circuit), is "a name with a lot of gravity". Oliver Farnsworth, the patent attorney Newton hires, shares a surname with Philo Farnsworth, who was (to quote Wikipedia) the "Inventor of the first electronic television".
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_6bda9a30	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_6bda9a30	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_6bda9a30
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_6c62b1a8	type	Covered in Gunge
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_6c62b1a8	comment	Covered in Gunge: In what appears to be a weird alien sex scene, Thomas and his alien wife are this at one point.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_6c62b1a8	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_6c62b1a8	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_6c62b1a8
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_6d7fb55	type	Fake Brit
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_6d7fb55	comment	Fake Brit: Thomas is an in-universe example in both the book and the film.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_6d7fb55	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_6d7fb55	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_6d7fb55
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_6f679180	type	Reclusive Artist
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_6f679180	comment	Reclusive Artist: Newton definitely counts in-universe—he rarely goes out in public and leaves the day to day operations of the company to Farnsworth. Justified as he wants to escape detection ("My life is not secret, but it is private.").
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_6f679180	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_6f679180	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_6f679180
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_73d1a356	type	The Noun Who Verbed
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_73d1a356	comment	The Noun Who Verbed: The title.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_73d1a356	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_73d1a356	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_73d1a356
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_74ea714e	type	Unusual Eyebrows
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_74ea714e	comment	Unusual Eyebrows: In his true form, Thomas has no eyebrows (it's part of his overall hairlessness).
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_74ea714e	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_74ea714e	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_74ea714e
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_76e48a97	type	Icarus Allusion
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_76e48a97	comment	Icarus Allusion: Both the book and film openly reference the myth of Icarus, who literally fell to Earth when he flew too close to the sun via wings of feathers and wax. The first section of the novel is titled "Icarus Descending".
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_76e48a97	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_76e48a97	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_76e48a97
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_7b8b3def	type	Celebrity Paradox
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_7b8b3def	comment	Celebrity Paradox: An ad for Young Americans is visible in the record store at the end of the film; nobody comments on the fact that Thomas looks exactly like the guy who recorded that album (one could interpret the album In-Universe as being the one Thomas recorded for his family to hear, but the fact that it's a real-world record that still prominently displays the name "David Bowie" on the advertisement mitigates this).
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_7b8b3def	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_7b8b3def	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_7b8b3def
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_7eebe99c	type	The Alcoholic
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_7eebe99c	comment	The Alcoholic: Thomas becomes one, thanks to Mary-Lou introducing him to the joys of alcohol.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_7eebe99c	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_7eebe99c	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_7eebe99c
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_81a1960f	type	Silence Is Golden
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_81a1960f	comment	Silence Is Golden: There is no dialogue in the scenes set on Thomas's home planet.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_81a1960f	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_81a1960f	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_81a1960f
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_820133fd	type	Tragic Hero
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_820133fd	comment	Tragic Hero: Thomas, whose naivete about humans and their ways and pastimes is his flaw (while this trope precludes him from being The Woobie, by the end he certainly warrants a hug).
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_820133fd	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_820133fd	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_820133fd
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_83b44e80	type	Straight Gay
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_83b44e80	comment	Straight Gay: Farnsworth and his partner, Trevor.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_83b44e80	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_83b44e80	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_83b44e80
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_85ca9dab	type	Second Love
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_85ca9dab	comment	Second Love: Mary Lou is (arguably) this for Newton. And Nathan is this for Mary-Lou.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_85ca9dab	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_85ca9dab	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_85ca9dab
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_8605f0c0	type	Promoted to Love Interest
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_8605f0c0	comment	Promoted to Love Interest: In the book, Thomas has no Earthly lover. Mary-Lou is a younger, Promoted to Love Interest version of the book character Betty Jo, who is middle-aged when she meets him and nurses an unrequited crush on him as one of his few confidantes. Interestingly, her ultimate fate- marrying Nathan-remains the same as in the book.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_8605f0c0	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_8605f0c0	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_8605f0c0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_91b55fe	type	Pop-Star Composer
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_91b55fe	comment	Pop-Star Composer: Some of the score is the work of John Phillips of The Mamas and the Papas. The original plan was for Bowie to write the score, and he was working on it with Paul Buckmaster, but for various reasons it was not used and-save for a bit of backwards bass that appeared on Low's "Subterraneans" the following year — has never been released to the public.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_91b55fe	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_91b55fe	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_91b55fe
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_9b7de69c	type	False Friend
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_9b7de69c	comment	False Friend: Dr. Nathan Bryce (Rip Torn) joins World Enterprises and quickly works his way up to being Newton's confidant, but he's a self-centered, amoral man, and once he begins to suspect something unusual about Newton, Bryce starts turning against him.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_9b7de69c	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_9b7de69c	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_9b7de69c
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_9d12bbc1	type	Foreshadowing
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_9d12bbc1	comment	Foreshadowing: The first person Thomas sees on Earth is an old, shabby wino. At the end, Thomas is just a wealthy, better-dressed version of him.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_9d12bbc1	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_9d12bbc1	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_9d12bbc1
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_9e6221b0	type	E.T. Gave Us Wi-Fi
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_9e6221b0	comment	E.T. Gave Us Wi-Fi: Thomas uses the advanced technology from his home planet to patent numerous inventions on Earth, leading to him becoming very wealthy.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_9e6221b0	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_9e6221b0	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_9e6221b0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a2b38d3b	type	Eye Scream
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a2b38d3b	comment	Eye Scream: Thomas's eyes are extremely sensitive to x-ray light. In the novel, he is blinded when he is forcibly x-rayed, while in the movie, this trope comes into play in the equivalent event in that his contact lenses end up fused to his eyes when they won't let him remove them.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a2b38d3b	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a2b38d3b	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a2b38d3b
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a3f1531b	type	Standard Snippet
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a3f1531b	comment	Standard Snippet: The U.K. theatrical trailer used Holst's Mars, Bringer of War (ironic, since Thomas comes in peace).
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a3f1531b	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a3f1531b	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a3f1531b
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a4414a05	type	Adaptation Dye-Job
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a4414a05	comment	Adaptation Dye-Job: Thomas's hair is curly, white, and natural in the novel, but in the film it's Bowie's own Dye Hard red locks (he is a natural dark blonde), and those are revealed in-story to be part of his disguise, as he is hairless.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a4414a05	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a4414a05	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a4414a05
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a4905771	type	Double-Meaning Title
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a4905771	comment	Double-Meaning Title: Thomas doesn't just fall to Earth physically, and that's why there's a...
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a4905771	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a4905771	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a4905771
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a620688	type	Non-Human Lover Reveal
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a620688	comment	Non-Human Lover Reveal: Gender flipped and deconstructed. When Thomas reveals his true form to Mary-Lou - long after they've consummated their relationship (their lovemaking, it should be noted, requires him to be in his human disguise) - she is horrified and repulsed. Thus, their already-troubled relationship is further damaged.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a620688	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a620688	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a620688
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a70223	type	Karma Houdini
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a70223	comment	Karma Houdini: Well, the U.S. government is never brought to justice for at least two murders and the torture Thomas is put through. And Nathan not only isn't punished for betraying Thomas, but also marries Mary-Lou and lives happily with her. This doesn't apply to the government in the book, but it doesn't make the ending any happier.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a70223	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a70223	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a70223
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a7ae597a	type	No New Fashions in the Future
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a7ae597a	comment	No New Fashions in the Future: Despite the fact that the human characters grow much older, it's all Seventies clothes, technology, etc. In the book, there are changes in fashion-frilly shirts for men, 'off-the-breast' gowns for women-but the world is very much that of its writing, 1963-64.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a7ae597a	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a7ae597a	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_a7ae597a
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_aa88f109	type	Humanity Is Infectious
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_aa88f109	comment	Humanity Is Infectious: Yes, indeed. Bowie stated in a 1980 interview with NME that Thomas "is a far better person at the end of the film than he was when he came down" thanks to this, which may well be true. But his saying that "what the effects of all that on him are is secondary" seems to easily dismiss the Downer Ending...
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_aa88f109	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_aa88f109	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_aa88f109
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_aa8dcc21	type	MegaCorp
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_aa8dcc21	comment	Mega-Corp: World Enterprises is a benevolent version of Type 2.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_aa8dcc21	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_aa8dcc21	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_aa8dcc21
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_af696bef	type	Fish out of Water
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_af696bef	comment	Fish out of Water: Thomas, majorly.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_af696bef	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_af696bef	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_af696bef
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_b13bb418	type	Alien Among Us
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_b13bb418	comment	Alien Among Us: Thomas Jerome Newton.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_b13bb418	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_b13bb418	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_b13bb418
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_b2cdd776	type	Bottomless Magazines
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_b2cdd776	comment	Bottomless Magazines: A six-cylinder revolver is fired seventeen times in succession (on the other hand, they're all part of a montage...).
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_b2cdd776	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_b2cdd776	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_b2cdd776
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_b2d8059f	type	Innocent Aliens
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_b2d8059f	comment	Innocent Aliens: Thomas; the central tragedy of the story is his loss of innocence as he lives among humans.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_b2d8059f	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_b2d8059f	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_b2d8059f
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_b9af5ef3	type	The Film of the Book
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_b9af5ef3	comment	The Film of the Book: Albeit with significant alterations, deletions, and expansions — there is no romantic relationship for Thomas on Earth in the book, and the sex lives of the characters aren't brought up at all, for starters. As well, the story is straightforwardly told in the novel. It's a Type 2 on the Sliding Scale of Adaptation Modification (recognizable as an adaptation). The Criterion Collection DVD edition actually included a copy of the book.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_b9af5ef3	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_b9af5ef3	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_b9af5ef3
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_bcf1bb32	type	Ominous Multiple Screens
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_bcf1bb32	comment	Ominous Multiple Screens: Justified, in that Thomas can actually pay attention to all of the screens.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_bcf1bb32	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_bcf1bb32	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_bcf1bb32
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_bef696dd	type	Mind Screw
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_bef696dd	comment	Mind Screw: The film frequently indulges in surreal imagery.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_bef696dd	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_bef696dd	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_bef696dd
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_c09dbbbb	type	Weaksauce Weakness
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_c09dbbbb	comment	Weaksauce Weakness: Due to his alien physiology, car rides over 30 miles an hour and elevator rides are enough to make Thomas faint.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_c09dbbbb	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_c09dbbbb	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_c09dbbbb
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_c3ae004a	type	Re-Cut
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_c3ae004a	comment	Re-Cut: The American theatrical release reordered scenes and cut about twenty minutes, but the current video releases are uncut.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_c3ae004a	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_c3ae004a	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_c3ae004a
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_c7fe318d	type	Old Flame Fizzle
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_c7fe318d	comment	Old Flame Fizzle: In the final act, Nathan arranges for Mary-Lou to stay with Thomas in his prison suite. But she's visibly aged and he hasn't since they last met-yet another difference between them. They enjoy a wild sexual tryst but no longer love each other, so they break up. A justified, downplayed case.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_c7fe318d	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_c7fe318d	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_c7fe318d
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_c8ba12ee	type	Interplay of Sex and Violence
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_c8ba12ee	comment	Interplay of Sex and Violence: In the scene where Thomas and Mary-Lou have graphic sex while shooting blanks, sometimes at each other, with a revolver.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_c8ba12ee	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_c8ba12ee	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_c8ba12ee
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_c8d6d621	type	I Will Wait for You
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_c8d6d621	comment	I Will Wait for You: Thomas's family. They die waiting.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_c8d6d621	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_c8d6d621	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_c8d6d621
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_c98b7916	type	Messianic Archetype
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_c98b7916	comment	Messianic Archetype: Thomas must leave his home world, people, and family to save them, and he suffers greatly on Earth, up to and including betrayal by Nathan Bryce. Thanks in part to the resultant years of captivity and torture his mission fails, leaving him broken, making this probably a subversion of the trope. The Christ parallel is made more explicit in the source novel.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_c98b7916	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_c98b7916	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_c98b7916
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_cb6b5864	type	New Wave Science Fiction
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_cb6b5864	comment	New Wave Science Fiction: The book and movie both came directly out of the New Wave movement of The '60s and The '70s.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_cb6b5864	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_cb6b5864	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_cb6b5864
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_d075a135	type	Now What?
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_d075a135	comment	Now What?: Unlike the novel, the Downer Ending here also qualifies as this. After all, Thomas failed in his mission and lost everything important to him. But he still has money and his drinking won't kill him any time soon; he could have centuries left to go. So...now what? Somewhat answered in Lazarus. Things don't get better.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_d075a135	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_d075a135	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_d075a135
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_dcd29760	type	They Would Cut You Up
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_dcd29760	comment	They Would Cut You Up: The issue comes up when Thomas is captured. His prison is comfortable, but scientists subject him to scalpels and syringes for years.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_dcd29760	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_dcd29760	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_dcd29760
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_e26f04b4	type	Last of His Kind
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_e26f04b4	comment	Last of His Kind: Thomas faces this fate if his mission doesn't succeed. And it doesn't.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_e26f04b4	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_e26f04b4	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_e26f04b4
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_e4d39e54	type	Mars Needs Water
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_e4d39e54	comment	Mars Needs Water: Newton has come to Earth for water. In the brief scene we see of him at home with his family, they're all wearing skintight suits to keep their sweat in.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_e4d39e54	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_e4d39e54	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_e4d39e54
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_f0982bbf	type	Aliens Steal Cable
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_f0982bbf	comment	Aliens Steal Cable: Thomas's people can observe Earth this way, so once he's established his business empire there he appears in an ad for it to serve as a coded greeting to his family back home. To bid his people farewell he records an album, figuring the message will be transmitted via radio waves.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_f0982bbf	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_f0982bbf	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_f0982bbf
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_f4aeb714	type	Human Aliens
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_f4aeb714	comment	Human Aliens: This is how Thomas appears most of the time, but it is an elaborate disguise. His actual form, which includes cat-like eyes and lacks ears, hair, fingernails, etc., belongs to the Rubber-Forehead Aliens trope. This is a major change from the novel, in which Thomas doesn't need to alter his appearance much to walk amongst humans.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_f4aeb714	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_f4aeb714	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_f4aeb714
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_fac4ff79	type	Meta Casting
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_fac4ff79	comment	Meta Casting: The casting is not just Actor Allusion. Originally Peter O'Toole was cast as Newton, but when that didn't work out, Roeg got the idea to cast David Bowie upon seeing the BBC documentary profile Cracked Actor, which followed the singer on his 1974 U.S. tour, and realizing he had exactly the stranger-in-a-strange-land (namely the U.S.) quality the character needed.
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_fac4ff79	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_fac4ff79	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_fac4ff79
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_name	type	ItemName
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_name	comment
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_name	featureApplicability	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_name	featureConfidence	1.0
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_name
The Man Who Fell to Earth / int_name	itemName	The Man Who Fell to Earth

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

David Bowie (Franchise)	seeAlso	The Man Who Fell to Earth
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	Alien Works / int_a3029275
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	Bottomless Magazines / int_a3029275
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	Boxed Set / int_a3029275
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	Double Vision / int_a3029275
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	Fish out of Water / int_a3029275
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	Freaky Is Cool / int_a3029275
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	Hellish Pupils / int_a3029275
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	Icarus Allusion / int_a3029275
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	Inhumanable Alien Rights / int_a3029275
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	Interplay of Sex and Violence / int_a3029275
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	Moe / int_a3029275
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	No New Fashions in the Future / int_a3029275
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	Non-Human Lover Reveal / int_a3029275
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	Now What? / int_a3029275
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	Ominous Multiple Screens / int_a3029275
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	Potty Failure / int_a3029275
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	Production Throwback / int_a3029275
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	Promoted to Love Interest / int_a3029275
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	Re-Cut / int_a3029275
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	Recycled: The Series / int_a3029275
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	"Setting Off" Song / int_a3029275
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Film of the Book / int_a3029275
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Noun Who Verbed / int_a3029275
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	The Stoic / int_a3029275
The Man Who Fell to Earth	hasFeature	They Would Cut You Up / int_a3029275

Copyright of DBTropes.org wrapper 2009-2013 DFKI Knowledge Management. Imprint. - Thanks to Bakken&Baeck for hosting. Contact.
Copyright of data TVTropes.org contributors under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.