Nicolas Roeg

David Bowie stars as the alien, Thomas Jerome Newton, in ‘The Man Who Fell To Earth’ (1976), a classic British sci-fi drama film written by Paul Mayersberg and directed by Nicolas Roeg.

We are introduced to Newton by his dramatic arrival in the rural desert of southwest America, finding out that he left his native planet to travel to Earth in hopes to find a solution for the drought that is killing his land back home.

Newton applies the analytical tactics he learned from his planet to beat the U.S. economic system and create patents of his own inventions, eventually competing with the most elite American corporations and earns a quick million. The government becomes skeptical and starts to follow.

We embark on this journey with Thomas Jerome Newton as he is constantly hiding his alien identity and now being censored by the government. 

The more Thomas Jerome Newton avoided confrontation to protect his identity and family, the more the U.S. government hunted him down.

Newton was sabotaged and eventually imprisoned by the U.S. Government within a scientific lab, as they were skeptical of his human capabilities of such rapid success.

The Man Who Fell To Earth

director NICOLAS ROEG
year 1976
director of photography ANTHONY B. RICHMOND
cast DAVID BOWIE, CANDY CLARK, RIP TORN, BUCK HENRY and BERNIE CASEY 

words ELLEN GRACE