The Man Who Fell to Earth at BFI

“I don’t hate anyone. I can’t.”  

 When I coined the title The Rakish Gent, there were several men on the mood board in my mind. The one that stood head and shoulders above the rest was David Bowie. Throughout his chameleonic career as one of the most prolific and genre-bending musicians in the world, he stood for being himself, going with the times and a lack of any apprehension when it came to raising eyebrows.

There have been many David Bowie iterations – Aladdin Sane, Ziggy Stardust, the kimono wearing Bowie, the three-piece velvet suit wearing Bowie, platform boots Bowie and whatever you want to call Labyrinth Bowie. For my money, it was the Thin White Duke that seemed to define what it meant to be the rakish gent. He was the troubled alter-ego, wafer slim, dark, and moody man; the well-dressed alter ego who sung of intense romance meanwhile feeling nothing inside (Bowie once described the character as “ice masquerading as fire”). Conceived while the man was suffering from a drug addiction, he also described him as a “nasty ogre”. So, whilst he may not be all that pleasant to hang out with, from afar he looks pretty damn good. 

The Thin White Duke was conceived during Bowie’s Berlin period, a timeframe in which he released the trilogy of albums Low (1977), Heroes (1977) and Lodger (1979) as well as the iconic film The Man Who Fell to Earth(1976) which will be one of the highlights of the BFI Bowie: Starman and the Silver Screen season. Originally planned for 2021, and now scheduled for 1-30 January 2022, other films include Labyrinth (1986) and Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars (1979), Bowie at Glastonbury (2000) as well as rare TV material from the BFI National Archive. As a nod to the man’s influence as a composer, innovator and concept artist Hooked To The Silver Screen: Bowie at the Movies will feature the likes of 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Querelle (1982) and Taxi Driver (1976). 

Directed by Nicolas Roeg, The Man Who Fell To Earth (1976) was Bowie’s first starring role in a movie. Bold as ever, he plays an alien with the charming name Thomas Jerome Newton, outfitted in human skin who is forced to come to earth to save his dying planet. His eccentricity made him perfect casting, as a lost soul trying to play a human. Frighteningly apocalyptic, the alien needs to find a way to ship water to his planet, which is suffering from a severe drought. 

Created whilst the actor was in a fragile state of mind (allegedly taking 10 grams of cocaine daily) in 1983 he spoke about the experience of filming the movie, saying “My one snapshot memory of that film is not having to act. Just being me was perfectly adequate for the role. I wasn't of this earth at that particular time”. Cocaine aside, Bowie’s style during those years saw glitter replaced by razor-cut tailoring, reflective of the relaxed style of Berlin during the late Seventies. Black featured heavily within the new wardrobe – look no further than the heavy black leather trench coat, wide brimmed fedora and tightly belted over tailoring which has inspired countless catwalk collections ever since – designers Raf Simons and Alber Elbaz cite him as huge influence, as does Hedi Slimane who once said “I was literally born with a David Bowie album in my hand”. 

Aside from being Bowie’s screen debut, The Man Who Fell to Earth was also the first movie credit for prolific costume designer Mary Routh who was keen to create a nonchalant and simple style, save for the orange hair. The outfit that Routh designed for Newton’s arrival was one of the most perfect menswear looks of all time – a dark olive green duffle coat, dark grey slim trousers and black lace combat boots. That simple and pared back wardrobe of the movie was more in keeping with what Bowie was wearing in his personal life. This is perhaps best reflected by the fact that a shot of Bowie wearing Newton’s duffle coat appears on the cover of his 1977 album Low. Unlike the catsuits and mullets, this time around the clothes were not wearing the man this time. Functional, hard-wearing and ever so slightly offbeat – all of the hallmarks of a lasting look. 

The Man Who Fell To Earth is one of the movies screenings as part of the Bowie: Starman and the Silver Screen season at BFI Southbank, London from 1-30 January 2022.

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