CULT DVD Review

Falling Down (1993)

Overall: 54%

Feature: 79% (2 reviews)

Extras: 5%

Falling Down (1993)

“The adventures of an ordinary man at war with the everyday world”

Joel Schumacher's 1993 Thriller, Falling Down, imparts a message that will translate differently depending on the audience to which it is presented. It’s a film that shows a man’s reality obscured by what he believes to be the flaws of others and the insincerities of society as he crashes through, and freefalls beyond his breaking point. In the cleverly shot opening scene we watch our lead, William “D-FENS” Foster (Michael Douglas), push back against an impulsion to self destruct. He remains a muted captive in his own reality until his tolerance for the world collapses and provides a clarity that allows liberation from all that is out with his control.

In a moment of abandon Foster deserts his car on a packed Los Angels freeway and simply declares to those who protest around him that he is “going home”. This is, without a doubt the instant that everything changed for the character and this is in all probability the moment that he refers to later in the film as his own “point of no return”

On the first time of watching this may seem trivial as you see the rest of the story and the character unravel. Forster’s patience and restraint is tested with each confrontation escalating beyond the last, his day accelerates out of control as he approaches each situation with the refusal to accept that he may not be right and he may no longer be the victim. His actions move seamlessly from a moment of frustration motivated vandalism to a fit of rage, fueled by retribution and ending in murder.

Falling Down

Through a series of phone calls interspersed through the plot we discover the “Home” William Foster is heading is that of his ex-wife (Barbara Hershley) and his young daughter whose birthday he is determined to celebrate despite his ex partners firm remonstrations.

One unusual element of this film is that as the movie develops some viewers may find themselves empathising with Foster’s actions and there is a strong sense that our character has been wronged in someway. Despite the cold and sometimes vicious acts of violence his impulsive nature ensures there is still enough humanity to relate to, for that reason the edges of morality become distorted and there isn’t a predictable “good guy / bad guy” formula at work here.

We do have Detective Prendergast (Robert Duvall) who, on the last day of his job, inadvertently becomes the adversary of our unassuming and unlikely anti-hero. Prendergast himself has had to deal with his fair share of personal turmoil, although he has managed to remain resilient whilst maintaining his composure and dignity which plays as a great contrast to our out of control, mutinous proletarian.

As the film develops we discover the back story, the incubator If you like, for the quiet yet riotous revulsion that has been inadvertently scratched and exposed to the public, like an uncovered kernel of a nuclear reactor this has hugely damaging consequences. The plot does take subtle turns that could be missed but the clues are there, evidence of the genuine madness that lies just beneath the composed exterior of William Foster. A police report describes how an altercation with a Neo-Nazi ultimately ended and a tense dialogue exchange with his wife shown in a home-video begin to show the cracks and we start to see the real William Foster, the William Foster that his ex-wife has every right to fear.

There are a few subtle and inferred messages throughout the film and one is the idea that our lead character believes he is more than he is, better than the masses, when in reality he is only equal to the majority. The angry exchange with a Korean shopkeeper not only highlights his innocuous prejudice and ignorance but also his inability to structure an argument with any real knowledge or substance. In his belief of superiority he does not expect to be questioned, it is his refusal to accept he is, quite simply, unremarkable that creates the tension that builds over the years and irreversibly contributes to his breakdown.

We also watch, uncomfortably, a scene where Barbara Hershley’s character is almost cross-examined by a police officer and made to feel that her worries are unsupported and that perhaps her claims are gratuitous. The suggestion her ex-husband is the victim simply mirrors Fosters own beliefs and compounds a misogynistic view that may have been prevalent at the time.

Without any doubt this is a film that will leave you with a set of mixed emotions, a whole gym bag full of them in fact. The main cast is strong and although some smaller parts can be unconvincing this doesn’t distract from the film leaving its mark. With a solid script and the pairing of two Academy Award winning actors Schumacher produced a film welcomed by the public and critics alike, it’s not without its controversy but a film that creates an emotion has probably done its job on some level and even now the film holds its own and has provided inspiration to a host of artists and film makers over the years. As recently as 2011 the “Foo Fighters” recreated the events of William Foster in their video for the song "Walk" almost 20 years after the films original release.

The Extras

This disc was released when DVD’s and the production of this technology was in its infancy, back when a “Chapter Index” was worthy of note. So, despite around a quarter of the back cover being dedicated to “Special Feature” information we only have the standard Audio Options available.

This is disappointing although I am sure there have been versions since that provide us with more but this is quite simply a “feature only” release.

FEATURE: 88%

EXTRAS: 5%

OVERALL: 60%

A tale of desperation, rejection and rebellion where the desire to prove his worth thrusts one man on a trail of social destruction from which there can be no turning back.

Alan Whitfield

Trivia

A rare performance from Michelle Pfeiffer’s younger sister can be found on this title. Dedee Pfeiffer plays the insincerely enthusiastic “Sheila” at Whammy Burger where Foster decides to have his late breakfast.

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2nd Opinion:

Excellent performances from both Douglas and Duvall but the film's message seems to be a little muddled. Its still one of the directors' best films however and it has that typical Hollywood sheen. It loses its way before the end but its certainly an interesting journey. I love the scene in the burger take-away restaurant.

FEATURE: 70%