Known for pioneering the glam rock movement, David Bowie was also an actor. Though each of his films shines, the crowning jewel is Nicolas Roeg’s sci-fi indie, The Man Who Fell to Earth.
Selfishly, we think that our idols will never die. But when it at last happens, true artists live on in their film and music. Such is the case with David Bowie, who departed in early 2016.
Known for pioneering the glam rock movement and pushing the boundaries of gender identity, Bowie was also an actor. Though each of his films shines, the crowning jewel is Nicolas Roeg’s 1976 sci-fi indie, The Man Who Fell to Earth.
It should come as no surprise that this film is strange—wildly so. But it captures the zeitgeist of the era, blending equal fascinations with outer space and big business. Bowie plays Tommy, a flame-haired alien who arrives on Earth to find water for his home planet. Armed with patents for a number of inventions, he quickly translates his mechanical drawings and equations into cash.
And then along comes Mary-Lou, a woman with very human desires. If this were a romantic drama, Tommy would be torn between the seductive ways of earth and loyalty to his people. But what happens is much more tragic.
“What do you do?” Mary-Lou asks early on. “I’m just visiting,” Tommy replies. No truer words about Bowie were ever spoken.