FALLING DOWN
U.S., 1993, 112 minutes, Colour.
Michael Douglas, Robert Duvall, Barbara Hershey, Tuesday Weld, Rachel Ticotin, Fredric Forrest
Directed by Joel Schumacher
Falling Down is a sobering look at the situation of middle-aged men in American society who have found that they are redundant and ineffectual. While the focus is on Michael Douglas' Bill Foster, D-FENS from his car numberplate, and his mental and moral disintegration, there is a balance with the character of the detective played by Robert Duvall who is on his last day on the force and whose life has served him up enough grief for him to break like Foster. However, he is more resilient and the two men face a showdown on a pier.
The film raised controversy on its first release, accused of being a vigilante film. The sociopathic behaviour of the central character is the metaphor for commenting on what has happened in materially successful America in the last decades of the 20th century. In a moving scene, Michael Douglas explains his fate to a family who are afraid that they have been abducted. At the end of the film, he speaks a line that was well-publicised at the time, 'I'm the bad guy'.
In the supporting cast Barbara Hershey plays Douglas' wife and Tuesday Weld is Duvall's wife. Direction is by Joel Schumacher who followed this movie with two Grisham adaptations, The Client and A Time to Kill as well as two Batman features. He again created controversy in the movie about the pornography industry, 8 MM.
1. The impact of the film in its time? The image of the American male in the 1990s, middle-aged, unemployed? The accusation against the film that it promoted the vigilante?
2. The title, Bill and his comment about falling down, gravity? The lyrics of “London Bridge is Falling Down”? Falling down finally into the water? Moral collapse, falling down?
3. The Los Angeles settings, his journey right across the city, the variety of neighbourhoods, poor, violent, affluent? The musical score and its evocation of moods?
4. The structure of the screenplay, the parallels between Bill and Martin, the counterpoint in so many details: the work, out of work, wives, daughters, friends or not…?
5. The audiences identifying with Bill Foster and his experience? Men, middle-aged men, men who shared the experience? The women’s response to the film, to Bill and Martin, to their wives?
6. Audience sympathy with Bill, awareness of his experience, the critique of American society?
7. The satiric aspects of the screenplay, audiences identifying with Bill’s rage against people who were discourteous, rude, violent? The equivalent of road rage? If only…? A fantasy for the audience to see their irritations and angers played out?
8. The opening, his numberplate, the focus on his eye, his face, the sweat, the flies? The freeway, the cars, no exit? The gradual hearing of noise, everybody talking, the children in the bus, the phones, the details of people’s activity, lipstick…? The billboards? The bumper stickers, rude, religious? The detour, the signs? The growing exasperation, his car going to pieces, leaving, people shouting at him, wanting to go home? The contrast with Martin, trapped in the same roadblock, looking at the humorous billboards and the jokes, laughing? Getting out of the car, helping to push Bill’s car out of the way? The ironic comments of the salesman and his discounts for police?
9. The film as a road movie, a journey in the urban jungle – to where? One day in the life of?
10. Martin, his last day at work, the different perspectives, the staff attitudes, his being behind the desk, his boss, his wife and her phone calls, the party?
11. The importance of the phone, its continually ringing, Bill ringing Elizabeth, her being on the phone? His way of speaking and communicating? Amanda, her worrying Martin at the office? His ringing Sandra? Bill and his being on the phone, the man complaining, his machine-gunning the phone booth?
12. The freeway as the symbol of life, the traffic jams, the men fixing the road which didn't need fixing, the bazooka and the explosion?
13. The significance of weapons, the baseball bat in the shop, Bill using it, the guns, the bag of guns, the drive-by shooting, the bazooka, the wood pistol for Adele, the police and their guns? Deaths and woundings by guns?
14. The portrait of frustration, Bill and his going into the shop to get change, the Korean man, the Latinos, the nagging man at the phone, the man begging for money, the staff at the diner, Nick and his Nazi attitudes, the plastic surgeon and his wealth, the arrogant men on the golf course, the police – Bill and the mounting frustration and his encounters with each of these characters?
15. The character of Bill Foster, his age, appearance, the mystery about his life and work, the gradual revelation? His leaving the car, the phone and his not replying to his wife, the Korean shop, his attitudes, pronunciation, smashing the shop, the too-high prices, taking the baseball bat, paying? The encounter with the Latinos in the park, their accusing him of trespassing, his getting the bat, his bashing them? His phoning again, talking to his wife, her urging him not to go near the house? The shooting, his not being wounded, his confrontation with the Latinos in the crashed car, wounding the assailant in the leg? The man wanting the food, his demanding an explanation, getting him the briefcase – and the revelation that it was empty except for his lunch? His wanting breakfast, his response to the manager and the assistant, his talking about names and familiarity, the shooting, his talking to the people in the Whammy Burger, the little boy putting up his hand to answer the question, the information that he had paid? The encounter with Nick, Nick hiding him from Sandra and her interrogation, Nick assuming that he was a neo-Nazi, revealing his weapons, his ideology, the confrontation, his saying that he was entirely different from Nick, shooting him? Going to the mansion, meeting the family, his discovery that they were not rich, his explanation of himself to them, the little girls and his care? Trespassing through the golf course, the confrontation with the rich men, their trying to hit the golf ball at him, the man with the heart attack, his not going to get his pills for him? Getting nearer the house, phoning, the birthday of his daughter, his gift that he bought, its being smashed? Going into the house, watching the video – and the revelation of his intensity, his demanding that his daughter get on the horse that he bought her? The final chase of the family, confrontation on the pier? That he was the bad guy?
16. Martin Prendergast, his age, reputation in the force, desk work, his being on the freeway, cheerful, his last day, pushing the car out of the way? Mr Lee coming into the centre, his interest, but his being confined to robberies? His getting further information about Bill Foster, the interrogation of the Latinos and his intrusion? The sand in his desk, people playing jokes? His wife’s phone calls, her edginess, his explanation about her? The strong friendship with Sandra, going to lunch? Partnering her? The police officer and his taking Sandra away, his retorts to Martin? His information, further investigations, the phone call from his wife and from Sandra? The decision, the going out on the road – despite the harangue from the chief and the criticism about his never cursing? His visiting Bill’s mother, his humane attitude towards her and her glass menagerie? Finding the information about where Bill was going, the map, his wife’s house? Going with Sandra, her being shot? His going onto the pier, his talking with Adele, with Elizabeth, the confrontation with Bill? His being acclaimed to the press by his chief and his swearing at him? The severe answer to his wife, her response, his staying on the force?
17. Elizabeth with Adele, calling the police, the discussions, the indefinite fear, the sense of menace from Bill, the phone calls, the preparation for the party, the water pistol? Adele and her age, the experience on the pier, not knowing what happened, Martin suggesting that they have the party and Elizabeth tell her the next day?
18. Amanda, the phone call, the plans for the retirement, Arizona, London Bridge? Her faded beauty, the death of her child? The scratch and her making a drama of it, talking about shopping, dinner? Her apologies, Martin being firm with her? Their future?
19. Sandra, her job, friendship with Martin, laughing at his phone call to his wife? The lunch, the phone call, working together, Bill’s mother and her tougher stance, her hearing Martin say that he loved his wife? Her being wounded?
20. The police staff, the Japanese, the Latinos, the arrogant officer, the party, the celebration, Martin having to go, punching the policeman, his attitudes towards the chief – and defiantly swearing at him?
21. The various people on the freeway, the man with the car, the angry man whom Bill punched, the man with the repairs, the man at the phone booth, the golfers?
22. The children, the two daughters, the live daughter, the dead daughter, the caretaker with his children? The little boy with his hand up in the Whammy Burger? The boy advising on the bazooka?
23. Lee, his shop, his attitude, being American? The difference between Koreans and Japanese?
24. The burger attendants, the manager and his smile, the pat answers, the girl, their being confronted?
25. Nick, the Nazi, his background, weapons, defiance, seeing himself as American, the confrontation with Bill, Bill shooting him?
26. The family, the information about the plastic surgeon, the father willing to give himself up? The mother and the fear? The golfers, the timid man, the arrogant man and the consequences?
27. Doing the right thing or not doing the right thing? Both Martin and Bill in their lives? The final confrontation on the pier, Martin offering to help, giving him the reasons to live, the western showdown, the draw, Bill splashing Martin with the water – that he would have won in a duel? But his wanting to die, not wanting to go to jail, falling into the water and floating with the flotsam and jetsam?
28. A de profundis film about the human condition?
