The Art of The Cell
The storyline calls for a huge suspension of disbelief and has got some pretty nasty stuff going on in it (what fairytales don't, right?) but the film itself looks amazing and utterly fantastical.
Below I explore some of the artistic themes and inspirations including Namibia, water, the artist Odd Nerdrum and music videos like NIN's The Perfect Drug.
The Trailer
The Cell.
"If you see anything realistic in this film you should point it out because I'll take it out."
The Story
Suspend your Disbelief!
Luckily, child psychologist, Catherine Deane is working with a crazy virtual reality device that can place her inside of her coma patients' minds.
Inside Edward's Mind
The beginning.
Edward is in a coma and the only way Catherine, his therapist, can reach him is going inside the landscape of his head: a barren desert. The desert is an actual desert in Namibia and is supposed to symbolise the infinite possibilities of Edward's mind.
Edward was found in a coma on a seal beach in Namibia.
When we meet him, at the beginning of the film, Catherine is trying to convince him to go sailing with her but his mind can only conjure up an old boat wreck.
Edward isn't allowed to leave this small space in the desert because "Mocky-Lock" won't let him.
Catherine arrives in Edward's mind on the back of a horse which turns into a stylised horse scultpure. When we later see Catherine's apartment there is a drawing of this horse on the wall, making us unsure of whether she's really entering Edward's mind or her own mind is playing with her.
Buy at AllPosters.com
Buy at AllPosters.com
Buy at AllPosters.com
"Mocky-Lock is the boogeyman, Mocky-Lock wants me where I am!"
Namibian Seal Hunt
Edward was found unconscious on a seal beach.
In a Cannabis-fueled dream, Catherine imagines Edward with seal flippers instead of hands.
Catherine has clippings in her appartment mentioning a Namibian Seal Hunt and Edward's accident.
The scenes of Edward's mind were actually filmed in the Namibian desert. Check out those weird dead-looking trees.
Namibian Seal Beach:
Characters
A brief look at some of the characters.
FBI Agent Peter Novak- is the FBI agent in charge of finding Julia Hickson and catching Carl Stargher.
Carl Rudolph Stargher- is a serial killer. Stargher has a rare imaginary form of Schizophrenia that puts him into a permanent coma.
Edward Baines- is Catherine's "patient". Edward is in a coma and Catherine is trying to "talk him out of it" by going into the landscape of his mind.
Julia Hickson- is Stargher's most recent victim. It's up to Novak and Catherine to get Stargher to tell them where Julia is before Julia drowns.
Whalen's Infraction...
...is an invented condition for the film. Apparently it should be an "infarction", not an "infraction" which affects bony tissue not brain tissue. Whalen's infraction, we're told, is a severe form of schizophrenia with seizures that finally put Carl into a permanent coma.
Inside Carl's mind
Journeying into the mind of a serial killer...
When Catherine wakes up in Carl's mind her face is covered in a shroud, reminiscent of the Turin shroud. Apparently this shroud was originally an idea for the cloth that goes over the faces of the "mind journey" participants.
Dolls are another important symbol to Carl. They are placed throughout the film. Carl's mission with his victims is to turn them into dolls. One of his strongest childhood memories revolves around his father beating him for playing with dolls.
Carl also has an obsession with albino things. He has an albino German Shepherd called Valentine.
At one point Catherine finds herself standing in a bucket of eels.
Catherine ventures...
...Into Carl's Mind.
What did you think of The Cell?
All fur coat and no knickers?
I hesistate to tell people I like this film. It's pretty disturbing but parts of it are so lush and exquisite to look at. I've always loved films that look amazing, regardless of what other people say about the wonky script writing or the 2D characters. What about you?
Is there a place for visually-driven films, rather than plot or character?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byDespite the gory storyline this is a beautiful film.
boshemia says:
Morbid yes, but visually stunning. I have to say I love his work, though "The Fall" is my favorite, "The Cell" is just as beautiful.
Posted May 14, 2009
drifter0658 says:
It has been a while since I watched this, but I remember that I thought the film was pretty darn good. And yes, there is a place for stunningly beautiful if brutal films. Some of the best movies made today are stunning. And they are Asian.
Posted May 13, 2009
There's no excuse for skimping on plot!
The Mothers
(Warning there is a little cursing on this clip).
'The Cell' excerpt - mother whispers
An excerpt from Tarsem Singh's 'The Cell' (2000), a stupid yet amazingly designed picture. Subtitled for your viewing pleasure. NOTE: As pointed out by users ElectricShark & hijaktaffairs, this scene is apparently visually based on two of Odd Nerdrum's paintings: "Dawn" (1990) and "Sole Morte" (1987). The paintings can be viewed here: http://www.nerdrum.com/works/index.php?id=24 http://www.nerdrum.com/works/index.php?id=17
Runtime: 67
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curated content from YouTube
The Mothers
The scene above was apparently based on two paintings by the artist Odd Nerdrum (check out the information by the video above).
You can find out more about Odd Nerdrum below.
Odd Nerdrum
Paintings at Weinstein Gallery.
Odd Nerdrum
Books available from Amazon.
Odd Nerdrum: Themes
Amazon Price: $53.55 (as of 12/27/2009) 
Odd Nerdrum: Postcard Book
Amazon Price: (as of 12/27/2009)
Odd Nerdrum: Paintings
Amazon Price: $19.80 (as of 12/27/2009)
Odd Nerdrum: The Drawings
Amazon Price: (as of 12/27/2009)
Odd Nerdrum: Storyteller and Self Revealer
Amazon Price: (as of 12/27/2009)
Horse split into pieces.
Scene from The Cell.
Horse Dissection
The scene above reminds me of Damien Hirst's pieces where he's put various animals in tanks- such as sheep, pigs, shark etc.
Find out more below.
Damien Hirst's Shark
The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living.
Damien Hirst's Shark at the Met
For more videos from the New York Sun, please feel free to check nysun.com/video. This fall, the Metropolitan Museum of Art will present one of the most arresting works of art by the British artist Damien Hirst: "The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living." Originally created in 1991, the piece consists of a preserved shark in a tank of formaldehyde. But the shark that will appear at the Met is the second version of this work: The first began to decompose within the tank. Mr. Hirst then recreated the work with a second shark, a 13-foot tiger shark preserved professionally for the future. Mr. Hirst's shark — on a three-year loan from its owner, Steven A. Cohen — raises question about death and life, but its history also poses issues about the permanence of art. Can a work be so easily reproduced? And if so, what happens to its value?
Runtime: 244
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65 Comments:
curated content from YouTube
Damien Hirst
Another unbiased report from the BBC /sarcasm.
Catherine's Mask
Capiz Shells
I believe those are Capiz Shells hanging from the ceiling in the above scene.
White Capiz Shell Windchime Seashell Beach House Tiki 16" NEW
Amazon Price: (as of 12/27/2009)
Stainless Capiz Shell Modern Lamp - Silver/Gray
Amazon Price: (as of 12/27/2009)
Zen Zen Garden Capiz Shell Wind Chime - Caribbean Waters
Amazon Price: (as of 12/27/2009)
Birds
Birds are important to Carl.
He tells Catherine at one point that when he was a boy he found a bird with a broken wing but he drowned it because he knew his father would just kill it anyway, rather than letting Carl keep it.
Compare the vulture in the "Catherine's Mask" scene with the one in "The Perfect Drug" video below.
Music Videos by Mark Romanek
You can see the influence of these music videos in The Cell.
Cirque du Soleil
One of the acrobats from Cirque du Soleil was used in a scene in Carl's mind where they needed him to do a slow back flip.
Cirque du Soleil - Quidam
Amazon Price: $18.49 (as of 12/27/2009)
Mystere Cirque du Soleil - 24x36 Art Poster
Amazon Price: $19.99 (as of 12/27/2009)
Cirque du Soleil - La Nouba
Amazon Price: $16.49 (as of 12/27/2009)
Cirque Du Soleil: 20 Years Under the Sun - An Authorized History
Amazon Price: $37.80 (as of 12/27/2009)
Cirque du Soleil - Varekai
Amazon Price: $24.99 (as of 12/27/2009)
Bram Stoker's Dracula
Dracula's Armour.
Bram Stoker's Dracula (Collector's Edition)
Amazon Price: $16.49 (as of 12/27/2009)
More books about Eiko Ishioka...
...on Amazon.
Coppola and Eiko on Bram Stoker's Dracula
Amazon Price: (as of 12/27/2009)
Eiko on Stage
Amazon Price: (as of 12/27/2009)
Issey Miyake Books...
...on Amazon.
Irving Penn Regards Issey Miyake
Amazon Price: (as of 12/27/2009)
Issey Miyake: Making Things
Amazon Price: (as of 12/27/2009)
Issey Miyake (Jumbo)
Amazon Price: (as of 12/27/2009)
Issey Miyake (Universe of Fashion)
Amazon Price: (as of 12/27/2009)
Issey Miyake
Amazon Price: (as of 12/27/2009)
Little Red Riding Hood
Catherine returns to Carl's mind.
Inside Catherine's Mind
Catherine wants to take her "patients" into her mind to take them out of their bad environments.
Catherine looks like a nun in a red habit when we see her. This outfit is actually based on an image of a Brazillian water goddess. I think the water goddess is supposed to be Yemaja. Find out more about her in the link below.
Catherine's mind is a clean place with cherry blossoms and snow. She sits in a pink throne and there's a small pool at her feet.
Later in the film we see Edward and Catherine together again in a desert with cherry blossom trees and snow falling.
- Yemaja
- Catherine's new look at the end of the film is based on Yemaja. Yemaja is the ocean, the essence of motherhood, and a protector of children. Find out more about her on Wikipedia.
Yemaja/Yemanjá
Video with different depictions of the water goddess Yemanjá.
Catherine's mind looks a bit like some sort of weird kitsch Bollywood Film.
Find out more about Bollywood on Amazon
The Essential Guide to Bollywood
Amazon Price: (as of 12/27/2009)
Fantasies of a Bollywood Love Thief: Inside the World of Indian Moviemaking
Amazon Price: $11.70 (as of 12/27/2009)
Bollywood 2009 Wall Calendar
Amazon Price: (as of 12/27/2009)
Bollywood: A History
Amazon Price: (as of 12/27/2009)
King of Bollywood: Shah Rukh Khan and the Seductive World of Indian Cinema
Amazon Price: $18.24 (as of 12/27/2009)
Within Temptation
All I need.
Interview with Tarsem.
The director Tarsem talks about his latest film "The Fall".
Tarsem-The Fall; The Cell
Hooman interviews Tarsem about his new film THE FALL. Tarsem discusses his past project THE CELL as well. Tarsem opens up about his childhood and his new projects. Tarsem also talks a little bit about pornography and his relationships. He talks about why his last relationship didn't last and how he is in love with a new woman. And in the end Tarsem speaks Farsi
Runtime: 290
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curated content from YouTube
The Fall
Trailer.
The Fall (2008) Official Trailer (HQ)
Released March 2008 In a hospital a little girl with a broken collar bone meets a bedridden man who starts telling her a fantastical story which reflects his state of mind. As time goes by fiction and reality start to intertwine in this uplifting epic fantasy.
Runtime: 126
107474 views
123 Comments:
curated content from YouTube
The Fall...
...on Amazon.
Clip from The Fall
Tarsem's The Fall - Travel sequence clip
A short clip from Tarsem's new film 'the Fall' with crazy dancing and scenes from around the world. I spent the best part of a year working on the special effects, props and costumes for this movie which I can't wait to see.
Runtime: 59
56330 views
87 Comments:
curated content from YouTube
Index
Quick links.
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Reader Feedback
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Reply
- MeltedRachel MeltedRachel May 14, 2009 @ 8:47 am | in reply to boshemia
- I'm so desperate to see "The Fall"- it looks absolutely gorgeous! Of course it helps that it has Lee Pace in it too ;) Yes- it looks like the Mae West(?) image of Dali's. Thanks :D
-
Reply
- boshemia boshemia May 14, 2009 @ 8:40 am
- I loved "The Cell", and "The Fall" which isn't quite as disturbing but just as powerful in a more innocent way. Visually they are similar, in fact I came across "The Fall" by accident, it was on sale at our local video store, the cover had a Dali feel to it so I bought it. I kept saying it reminded me of "The Cell" long before I knew who the director was. 5 *'s and lensrolled this to "The Fall" - A Childs Mind
-
Reply
- MeltedRachel MeltedRachel May 14, 2009 @ 1:54 am | in reply to drifter0658
- Thanks so much :D
-
Reply
- drifter0658 drifter0658 May 13, 2009 @ 7:50 pm
- A wonderful critique of a film and type of film.
About Melted Rachel
Textiles Artist and Appreciator of Whimsy.
Lensmaster MeltedRachel has been a member since March 18 2009, has rated 813 lenses, favorited 465, and has created 122 lenses from scratch. This member's top-ranked page is "How to Make a Draft Excluder". See all my lenses
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I'm Rachel, a textiles artist from the southwest of England.
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I love using recycled materials to create one-of-a-kind:
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