FALLING

Canada, 2020, 112 minutes, Colour.

Lance Henriksen, Viggo Mortensen, Laura Linney, Terry Chen, Sverrir Gudnason, Hannah Gross, Gabby Veliss, Bracken Burns, Ella Jonas Farlinger, Piers Bijvoet, Henry Mortensen, David Cronenberg, Paul Gross.

Directed by Viggo Mortensen.

When interviewed about this film, Viggo Mortensen noted that both his parents experienced dementia. On the evidence of his screenplay for Falling, he must’ve had harsh experiences.

While there have been a number of films about Alzheimer’s and dimension, many sympathetic to the elderly generation who succumbed to diseases and senility, there is minimal sympathy for the central character of Falling.

Willis Peterson, an extraordinarily powerful performance by Lance Henriksen in his late 70s, is first seen causing trouble on a plane. And he continues to cause trouble throughout the film. He has a momentary lapses in memory, lashes out, is extraordinary self-centred. And his language, at times, can be devastating.

However, the film gives a more rounded portrait of Willis Peterson, with a long range of flashbacks to his earlier life, the joy of his marriage, the birth of his son (although he laments to his baby son that he brought him into the world to die), work on his farm, bonding with his son at duck shooting, but a demanding man, 40 at times, a tantrum at his son’s birthday party for not being allowed to smoke in his own home, gradually becoming harsher and more violent, his wife and children walking out, his taking up with the younger woman and dominating his children. The younger Willis Peterson is played by a Swedish actor, Sverrir Gudnason. (In the final moments we do see that he had some initial redeeming features with his son – but they were lost, deteriorating over the decades.)

Viggo Mortensen, who wrote and directed the film, plays Willis Peterson son, John, caring for his father in his senility despite every physical and verbal attack from his father. He plays a gay pilot, in partnership with a nurse, Eric (Terry Chen). They have an adopted Hispanic daughter. There is also a visit from his sister, Lori Linney, and her children, having to deal with the outbursts of Willis.

And Willis is ill, gradually goes to the doctor, her surgery, but instead of getting a house in California after selling his farm, which his son advises, he prefers to return home, still full of grudges against his two wives and their second husband’s.

This is not an easy film to watch but is rather mesmerising with Lance Henriksen’s performance as an ugly and abusive character. But, it is a powerful reminder of what can happen in old age, senility, physical deterioration, dementia.

1. The title? With reference to Willis Peterson? Other characters?
2. The New York State farm settings, homes, the woods and countryside, homes? The contrast with the Californian settings? Doctor’s surgeries, hospitals? The musical score?
3. Audience response to dramas of Alzheimer’s, senility, physical and mental deterioration?
4. The opening, Willis in the plane, his aggressive tantrum, John and his response, trying to cope? Audience interest in Willis, any sympathy from the outset? The arrival in California, his refusing to sit in the wheelchair, losing his glasses on the plane toilet, disappearing, getting a taxi home?
5. The film establishing the character of Willis, Lance Henriksen’s performance, his physical appearance, voice, manner? Cantankerous, complaining, criticising? His reaction to his gay son, continued taunts, reaction to Eric, the discussions with Monica and bonding with her? His behaviour in the house, erratic, food and drink, unhealthy choices, continued smoking, his surgery for his:, the consequences? Argumentative towards his son?
6. The place of the flashbacks, Willis’s memories? John’s memories?
7. The younger Willis, in the car, returning home, the baby, the relationship with Gwen, glimpses of the wedding day? Taking John hunting, the shooting of the duck, John holding it, bath, sleeping, plucking the feathers, the cooking, the eating? The later scene of hunting with John teenager, avoiding looking at the deer? Willis and his support of his son – even when he is not shooting the deer? The scenes of family, the tantrum at the birthday party, John wanting to smoke in his own house, embarrassing everyone? His violence towards Gwen?
8. Gwen, long-suffering, love, the experience of violence, taking the children away, the scene at the door, hesitation, the taxi? Gwen’s later story, her marriage, the car accident, the death of her husband, Willis picking up his daughter from school, refusing to see Gwen in hospital? His expressions of hatred towards her?
9. Jill, younger, with Willis, the children in the caravan for a holiday, a diner, refusing to eat, the postcard to their mother? Willis and Jill, acting as the children’s parents, over the years? You long-suffering, eventually leaving, re-marrying, her death, Willis continually invading against her? Her husband and his looking after the farm, Willis’s attack that he wants to get his farm and never would?
10. John, personality, kindly, in view of the flashbacks to the past, as a little boy, he and Sarah together, leaving home, the diner with Jill, the filling in the background of the years, as a teenager, clashes with his father? Joining the air force, his father taunts about his orientation in the military? Commercial pilot? His relationship with Eric, Eric as a nurse, their domestic life, adopting Monica, her place in the family? The two father’s bonding? John and his resisting the taunts of his father – but some outbursts?
11. John, trying to do the best for his father, the upset in the plane, the airport, in the house, his father’s tantrums, the scene in the restaurant, Monica ordering, Willis and his carry on about the food? Paying the bill? The visit of Sara, her trying to be good to her father, his taunts, her children and his taunting them, their standing up to him? The doctors appointments, the tests, decisions, going back home, the doctor, the surgery, the aftermath, convalescence? John with his father, putting up with him?
12. Willis, staying on the farm, angry, memories of his wives, with the horses, ranging with John, John returning home? Willis and his collapse, resentful of Jules husband wanting his farm? Collapse, his final sexual imagery as he died, and his attitudes towards sexuality, towards women, towards gay orientation?
13. John, returning home, a happy household, Eric in the garden, bonding with Monica? Future?