What is The Fall about?
staying in the same hospital in 1915 Los Angeles, The Fall blurs the line between fiction and reality while reminding us of the healing power of storytelling. In the epic tale Roy tells, the heroes and the cruel Governor Odious trade places in Alexandria’s mind with the people in the hospital, and the story’s fate begins to shift in response to the young girl’s objections.
Tarsem Singh transforms this self-reflective narrative into a visual spectacle through spontaneous storytelling, breathtaking real-world locations, and Eiko Ishioka’s unforgettable costumes. Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony adds a refined emotional rhythm, completing the delicate transition from reality to fairy tale. In essence, The Fall offers a lyrical journey that bridges pain and hope through the limitless reach of imagination.
The Fall filming locations
The film weaves together images shot across 24 countries, spanning a vast geography from India to Italy and from South Africa to Indonesia. The director even turned his commercial film projects into location-scouting journeys, ultimately finding the perfect settings and choosing a real place for each scene. As a result, every palace, desert, temple, and city we see on screen is a real destination, each with its own story.
Because one of the film’s recurring themes is that pain and joy in the real world are mirrored in a fairy-tale realm, the chosen locations assume symbolic roles that deepen the narrative.
A sun-drenched orange desert can symbolize the heroes’ desperation or their search, while a fairy-tale palace may embody hope and refuge. Now, let us take a closer look at some of the iconic structures and natural landscapes that make The Fall’s cinematic world distinctive.
Sossusvlei and Dead Vlei, Namibia
One of the most striking scenes in the fairy tale world unfolds on a ghostly plain where dried trees rise from the desert floor. This scene was filmed at Dead Vlei, within Namibia’s Namib Naukluft National Park.
Dead Vlei is a dried-out oasis with a stark white clay floor, shaped by a climate shift roughly a thousand years ago. When the river that once supplied the area with water dried up and was cut off by encroaching dunes, the camel thorn acacia trees that grew there died of thirst yet remained preserved rather than decomposing. These tree skeletons, around 600 to 700 years old, have turned coal black under the relentless sun and still stand upright today.
Surrounded by some of the world’s tallest sand dunes, Dead Vlei presents a surreal landscape. In the film, the scene in which a mysterious character emerges from a hollowed tree to join the heroes lingers in memory, made unforgettable by the unsettling beauty of the location.
Just nearby lies Sossusvlei, the place that gives the region its name, another dry oasis known for its colossal surrounding dunes. The word “vlei” means lake or marsh in Afrikaans, yet these areas remain dry for most of the year. Several wide desert shots in The Fall were filmed on Sossusvlei’s vast red dunes.
The area is also home to Big Daddy Dune, one of the tallest sand dunes in the world, standing over 350 meters high.
Travel tip: Sossusvlei and Dead Vlei offer routes that adventure lovers will remember for a lifetime. Feeling the sand beneath bare feet as it shifts from red to gold throughout the day, and watching the stars during desert nights, is an entirely different experience.
Chand Baori, Abhaneri, India
In one scene, our heroes stand before an enchanted stair-like structure that descends deep into the earth. This location is Chand Baori, a historic well, more precisely a monumental stepwell, built nearly 1,200 years ago in the Indian state of Rajasthan.
Chand Baori is renowned for its 3,500 narrow steps, each carefully calculated, descending eight to nine stories. With its 13-tier inverted pyramid design, it extends nearly 30 meters below ground level, where a small water basin sits at the bottom. Viewed from above, the zigzag pattern of the steps is mesmerizing, perfectly capturing the fairy-tale labyrinth sensation seen in the film.
Chand Baori is also an iconic site in world cinema. Beyond The Fall, it inspired the prison pit scene in The Dark Knight Rises. With a design reminiscent of geometric perfection and the drawings of M.C. Escher, Chand Baori stands as a remarkable example of how human intelligence can unite aesthetics and functionality.
Travel tip: Travelers who wish to see Chand Baori can reach the village of Abhaneri by traveling approximately 95 kilometers from Jaipur. Visiting early in the morning or near sunset allows the shadows to reveal the striking patterns formed by the steps.
Taj Mahal, Agra, India
At one of the fairy tale’s climactic moments, a magnificent white marble structure appears on the distant horizon. In the eyes of the heroes, the building holds a sacred meaning: none other than the world-famous Taj Mahal. In the film, the Taj Mahal appears briefly, perhaps as a distant palace in a fairy tale, yet its impact is powerful. With its pure white splendor, it stands as a symbol of love and goodness overcoming all evil.
In real life, the Taj Mahal is a monumental mausoleum complex commissioned in the 1630s by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Its architecture, defined by an elegant white marble dome, slender minarets at each corner, and a geometric garden layout, represents a magnificent fusion of Islamic and Indian architectural traditions. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and recognized as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
Travel tip Visiting the Taj Mahal is an experience every traveler should have at least once. Witnessing its beauty at dawn or sunset is beyond description. Agra is also home to other significant landmarks, such as Agra Fort. You can easily reach New Delhi by booking a flight to India, then continue to Agra to experience this unique heritage firsthand.
Mana Island and The Butterfly Reef, Fiji
In a dreamlike underwater sequence, we see a hero swimming among corals and vividly colored fish. Like the reflection of a butterfly on the ocean’s surface, this part of the fairy tale presents a visually mesmerizing underwater scene. It was filmed in the real world near Mana Island, off the coast of Fiji.
Often described as the pearl of the Pacific Ocean, Fiji is a tropical paradise comprising more than 300 islands. The Butterfly Reef, chosen for The Fall, lies near Mana Island on Fiji’s western side. It is a hidden coral reef that is difficult to spot even on maps. If you wish to check it out on maps, the coordinates are: 17°40’20.27″S, 177° 7’53.65″E. Its name is said to come either from its butterfly-like shape or from the butterfly-like beauty of its colorful underwater life.
Travel tip: Fiji appeals to every kind of traveler, from honeymooners to adventure seekers. On Mana Island, you can snorkel among coral reefs filled with vibrant fish, then spend your evenings watching traditional fire dance performances.
Charles Bridge, Prague, Czechia
As the fairy-tale journey moves into the heart of Europe, The Fall briefly takes us to the Golden City of Prague. The heroes cross an old stone bridge adorned with Baroque statues. This iconic bridge is Charles Bridge, one of Prague’s most enduring symbols. In the film, it is one stop along the heroes’ globe-spanning adventure.
Built in the 14th century by King Charles IV, Charles Bridge spans the Vltava River, linking Prague’s Old Town with the Castle district. Considered one of the engineering marvels of the Middle Ages, the bridge measures 516 meters in length, is guarded by Gothic towers, and is lined with 30 statues of saints added in the 17th and 18th centuries, giving it the feel of an open-air sculpture gallery.
Prague itself carries a fairy-tale reputation in the real world as well. Known as Kafka’s city and the place where the legendary Golem once roamed its streets, it is one of Central Europe’s best-preserved historic centers. Founded in the 9th century, Prague Castle is the largest ancient castle complex in the world and overlooks the city.
Travel tip: Watching the statues on Charles Bridge emerge from the morning mist before the crowds arrive is a magical experience. From there, you can visit Old Town Square, see the Astronomical Clock Tower, and walk along the Vltava’s banks. With a flight to Prague, you can begin exploring this fairy-tale city.
The Colosseum and Capitoline Hill, Rome, Italy
In one scene of the fairy tale, the silhouette of a massive, arena-like structure and a grand square, surrounded by marble statues, comes into view, carrying us into the heart of Ancient Rome. What fairy tale would ever leave Rome out?
The Colosseum is the most famous amphitheater surviving from the Roman Empire. Built in the first century AD during the reigns of Emperors Vespasian and Titus, this arena once held more than 50,000 spectators. Even its brief appearance evokes a sense of power and grandeur, as well as cruelty, as the Colosseum witnessed both magnificent spectacles and deep tragedies throughout history.
Capitoline Hill, the most important of Rome’s seven hills, was a sacred site in antiquity, home to the Temple of Jupiter. Redesigned during the Renaissance by Michelangelo, Capitoline Square, with its statue of Marcus Aurelius and surrounding palaces, reflects the city’s history. In the film, marble statues, wide staircases, and classical architecture underscore the fairy-tale realm’s imperial scale.
Rome itself is a city built in layers; ancient Rome with the ruins of the Colosseum and Forum, Christian Rome with the Vatican and hundreds of churches, and Renaissance Rome with its Baroque fountains and countless statues.
From tourists tossing coins into the Trevi Fountain to standing beneath the grandeur of the Pantheon, Rome unfolds as a vast open-air museum. Viewed from Capitoline Hill, it becomes clear why Rome deserves its title as the Eternal City.
Travel tip: Exploring the Colosseum and Capitoline Hill feels like traveling through time. Watching the city from the Vittoriano monument’s terrace in the late afternoon offers a spectacular panoramic view. With a flight to Rome, you can set out to discover the Eternal City.
Hagia Sophia, İstanbul, Türkiye
One of the most surprising and powerful touches in the film is Tarsem Singh’s elegant salute to Istanbul in the Hagia Sophia scene. Known in the film as the “Hall of Chandeliers,” this captivating space marks a pivotal moment in the fairy tale’s flow. The immense dome, golden reflections, marble floors, and the majestic silence shaped by centuries deepen the scene’s emotional tone, adding both spiritual and historical weight to the story.
Hagia Sophia is a singular structure that unites the grandeur of the Eastern Roman Empire with the aesthetic sensibility of the Ottoman era, reflecting Istanbul’s layered cultural heritage. Born of the fusion of Byzantine and Ottoman architecture, this universal monument appears in The Fall not merely as a backdrop but as a symbol that strengthens the soul of the fairy tale world. Through this setting, the film emphasizes the meeting point of East and West while drawing the viewer one step closer to its enchanted texture.
More than a film, The Fall is a masterpiece that awakens the traveler’s spirit in everyone who watches it, planting seeds of curiosity about the world. It begins in a Los Angeles hospital room and takes us to Namibia’s red deserts, Rome’s ancient squares, Prague’s misty bridges, Fiji’s coral reefs, and Istanbul’s timeless dome.
Moreover, the windmills of Consuegra in Spain’s La Mancha region, the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Cambodia’s Bayon Temple, China’s Li River in the Guangxi region and the Great Wall at Jinshanling, Egypt’s Giza Necropolis, and Bali’s Tegallalang rice terraces also appear as stops along this fairy-tale journey. The film reminds us that fairy tales draw their inspiration from the real world, whispering that every landscape holds a story of its own. Perhaps this is why The Fall lingers in memory for so long, as it gently reveals how astonishing, surprising, and deeply worth exploring the world truly is.
