The kissing...

Hello, Motter.

I understand what you are asking and saying about being careful about "Hollywood" situations. I agree with you completely about the extra care that needs to be taken because of what has happened in the past and is probably happening today.

In the situation of The Fall, there are several issues that are very different that evidently played a large part in the relationship with Lee Pace and the child actor.

First and very important is that Hollywood evidently had not a penny, nickel, dime, or dollar invested in this film's production. Tarsen Singh paid for it entirely from his savings and the sale of most everything he owned. Even his home was being sold and he had completed the film just prior to that happening.

Second, the film - unlike most every other film made - was shot in story sequence. She and everyone else in production were told that Lee was actually paralysed, so she truly believed he was an invalid. Until the concluding scenes when she joins in the story in similar costume, frees The Bandit, and the fight takes place in the fort, she was not told that he had been pretending.

Third, as a young child (four, then five) she became attached to him emotionally. It is not unusual for youngster of either sex to love those who have been kind to them. Depending on the child's culture,affection - as others have described - are common place actions. At that time in the film, she still had the weird cast and brace on her right arm. Leaning across to kiss him while he was sleeping looked awkward to me because of balance. I actually wondered (as it happened) how many shots needed to be made since she could have fallen across him in the effort.

Finally, the store clearly weaves hers as dealing with the loss of her father, her grief that children are not seldom assisted in handling, and both of Lee's characters becoming a father figure. From what I have read, her interruption of his story was not planned, yet as she began intruding it in the filming, Tarsen realized how good it was and rewrote the latter part to make her The Bandit's daughter.

I agree that she probably had a crush on Lee personally because he was very sweet and gentle with her. Everyone was protective of her; however, the only person with whom he had more time was Mr. Singh. In featurettes, you can see her standing close to Lee and often holding his hand. When a young child's imagination is not blunted, diminished, or smothered, it will become a healthy part of the adult individual.

Eastern Europe, Russia, and the Asian countries to the East have a more vivid and lengthy history of story telling being part of their cultures than we do in the West. Oral tradition is a way of life for them in a manner that American Indians would understand, but not many others here, sadly. :(

In all reports, from the beginning of the film until the latter stages when they were filming the final parts of The Bandit's story, she had as little exposure to the crew, cameras, and technical aspects of the process as they could manage so it much of it was a fantasy that she experienced. Some have said that was manipulation of her. The only "manipulation" was a decision to minimise the amount of machinery and the hoard of people from breaking her focus.

Mr. Singh tells of how they positioned the cameras behind sheets, doors, and other structure to make them less distracting to her during their time at the hospital. Once they left that location and it was revealed to her that Lee had no paralysis, the cameras and equipment were front and center as usual. Definitely easier for everyone.

This is much longer than I expected to say that I agree with your concerns and that in this specific situation, the child was well cared for during the entire process. She was the star around which all of the others rotated. Two extras being that this was Tarsen life-long project of his own creation and funding, and second, it was not Hollywood or even Bollywood. It was completely independent.

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A Checkered Life speaks of myriad diverse adventures being the rewards of endless curiosity.