UNDER PRESSURE
US, 1997, 90 minutes, Colour.
Charles Sheen, Mare Winningham, David Andrews.
Directed by Craig R. Baxley.
Under Pressure is an action thriller, a film about suburban paranoia (in the vein of Joel Schumacher's Falling Down with Michael Douglas), echoing many of the themes and sequences, even parts of dialogue as to who was supposed to be the good guy). It was directed by Craig R. Baxley, known for tough action features like Stone Cold.
The star is Charles Sheen, giving an intense performance, a relentless personality gripped by anger, resentment and a touch of religious mania. He plays a fireman who is decorated for his heroism as the fireman of the year. However, his wife and child have left him, they have issued restraining orders. He can't sleep, resents his next-door neighbours who present an ideal family which his wife had admired. He continually confronts them, quoting the Bible for discipline, frightening the children, clashing with the father (David Andrews) and beginning to terrorise the mother (Mare Winningham). The violence erupts when he racially abuses a Chinese repairman who comes to his door by mistake. He finally turns on the police who have initially believed him. The ending is rather apocalyptic in the suburban setting.
1. The impact of this kind of film? The ugliness of its story? Suburban paranoia and rage and its eruption? Neighbours and hostility?
2. The suburban setting: the two houses, the street? The offices? The special sequence of the fire unit and the rescue? Musical score and atmosphere?
3. The title and its reference to Lyle? Seeing him in action, going into the fire, rescuing the child, hearing later that another woman was killed? (And in his nightmare he is reprimanding her for her laxity with her child, along with the confrontation with his wife and with Katherine?) His work, family, absence of family, severity with his son, disillusionment with his wife, the religious motivation? The clashes with the neighbours, lack of sleep, irritation turning to rage, his reprimanding the children, the model plane going through his window, his bringing it back, the steely silence, the threats? The phone call to Reese about the loan and the conflict? His reprimanding Katherine? The confrontation with the refrigerator repairman, the racial abuse, the violence, his death? Smoothly talking to the police, insinuating that Reese was a wife-basher? Their initially believing him, their return, wielding the axe with the police officer, tying up the woman? The final confrontation, his story of Russian Roulette and its origins, firing on the husband and the children? Katherine pretending to be his wife, the confrontation with the husband coming to consciousness, her shooting him?
4. The family next door: ordinary family, nuclear family, getting on well? The children and their noise, the irritation factor, screaming and yelling, playing with toys, guns, the model plane and its crash through the window? The father and his work, care for his family? The mother and her friendship with Lyle's wife, resisting Lyle, frightened of him, trying to get rid of him? The growing terror of the children after Lyle's continued visits? Phoning 911, the husband returning? Zac taking the blame for his actions? The reassurance of his parents?
5. Reese and his being accused of being a wife-basher by the police? Their change of heart? Katherine and her desperation, wanting the repairs, with the children, the neighbour's boy, the broken window and her promises? Growing antagonism towards Lyle? The visit to the supermarket, the discussion about buying the gun and her resistance to it? Finally getting the rifle? The Russian Roulette, her realising that she had to pretend to be Lyle's wife, saving Zac, finally getting the gun and killing him? The aftermath - and the advertisement for the fire department with Lyle?
6. The repairman and the eruption of racial abuse? The police, presumptions about heroes, the suspicions, the return visit, trying to pacify Lyle, the dog, the axe, the shooting?
7. The aftermath of watching this kind of film? American suburban life and violence? Rage?
