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Man Who Fell to Earth - reference to Lithuania

posted 19 years ago by pottolom
14 replies | jump to latest

When I was in my teens, I was a massive fan of Bowie (and still am to a certain extent). I remember watching The Man Who Fell to Earth a lot of times back then....

.... years later, I am now living in Lithuania, teaching English. I bought this film on DVD a while back, and got round to watching it for the first time in ages here. When Newton shows Bryce the spaceship, and they're standing around inside (the scene which is used for the cover of Station to Station), Newton asks Bryce if he has any questions. Bryce responds, in a jokey manner "Are you from Lithuania?". Newton replies "I come from England." Bryce says "That's not so bad."

Now, what does this mean? Why the Lithuania reference? I really can't work it out.... can anyone help?

[–] CountVladDracula 19 years ago

Oh, it's actually a line from the novel, one of the few retained for that not so linear movie adaptation. (the novel actually had a plot).

Anyway, Newton says 'Ask me.' 'What?' Bryce replies. 'The question you've been wanting to ask ever since we met.' Now Newton knows Bryce suspects he's an alien. Bryce, however, is too embarrassed to ask such a thing so he quickly changes it to 'Are you a Lithuanian.' almost jokingly. It was tongue in cheek. He couldn't bring himself to ask if he was an alien from another planet.

Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask and he'll tell you the truth.

[–] pottolom 19 years ago

But is there any reason for him to specifically ask if Newton is Lithuanian? Any reason why Tevis put this in there? I suppose there isn't, but I find it strangely intriguing.

[–] andyd-1 19 years ago

At the time the book was written, little was known or heard of Lithuania in the West owing to it being part of the USSR, and no longer existing as a country. I'd imagine at the time it could be used as a byword for a strange an unusual place.

[–] jccalhoun 18 years ago

If it isn't just a random reference to someplace really far away and seemingly very alien, it may be because Lithuanian sounds a bit like "are you an alien." Although it may be looking for significance where there isn't any to say that.

[–] IsisChromecat 18 years ago

I thought the Lithuania refference to be a random joke, I mean, yes it has the double "alien" meaning too, but, I think it was supposed to be funny (and it was).

"Come in," she said,"I'll give you shelter from the storm."

[–] danrimage 18 years ago

I always assumed it was Bryce's way of ascertaining Newton's political convictions, Lithuania being (at the time) part of the Eastern Bloc. He also asks if the craft is a weapon: it seems he is concerned that he's potentially become involved with a terrorist.

[–] sub_mish 16 years ago

No, he's asking him if he's an alien in a toungue in cheek way - "lithuanian" rhymes with "alien" and also would have been a strange, alien place at time as it was part of the USSR.

Sits in corner counting inconsistencies and Spoiling It For Everyone

[–] rgcustomer 13 years ago

I agree. It's a sort of rhyming slang.

[–] nephihaha 13 years ago

Yes...

The Baltic region is also famous for producing platinum blondes particularly round about the south east coasts (former Prussia, Poland and Lithuania)

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It's not "sci-fi", it's SF!

[–] nephihaha 13 years ago

Lithuanians are known for having silvery hair.

Also if he was a Lithuanian in the 1970s, that could point to him being a Soviet agent.

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It's not "sci-fi", it's SF!

[–] franzkabuki 13 years ago

Silvery hair? Really? Well at least I can´t recall having seen too many Lithuanians like this - and I´ve seen plenty.

"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan

[–] startlepoint 10 years ago

I always took it as Bryce's indirect way of asking, "Are you gay?" When Newton replies, "I come from England," that's supposed to explain why Newton seems, by Bryce's standards, effeminate. Notice the uncomfortable body language he and Bryce display when they meet for the first time in Newton's limo. When Newton speaks of his interest in Bryce's work with "the transference of energy," it has a sexual connotation that makes Bryce nervous.

[–] jannispetersen 10 years ago

There is nothing more to it than that '...anian' rhymes with 'alien'. So he says 'Lithuanian' instead of 'Alien'.

[–] startlepoint 9 years ago

Then again, there's a book that came out many years ago entitled, "We Can Always Call Them Bulgarians: The Emergence of Lesbians and Gay Men on the American Stage." (Check it on Amazon!) So perhaps the "...ian" is more essential than the "...anian."