FALLING (FALLEN)
Austria, 2006, 85 minutes, Colour.
Nina Proll, Birgit Minichmayr, Gabriella Hegedus, Ursula Strauss, Kathrin Resetarits.
Directed by Barbara Albert.
Fallen is a film by Barbara Albert, an Austrian director (Northern Skirts) who is also a writer. She was co-writer of the Golden Bear award-winning Grbabica in 2006.
On paper, this film sounds very interesting, a reunion of five women at a funeral. It obviously will be an occasion for a lot of truth being told. The film is able to fill in the characters of each of the women, their backgrounds, their experiences, achievements and disappointments as well as the ambiguous relationships with the deceased. He was a teacher, married, who had relationships with some of the girls. Many are indebted to his memory for his way of teaching. However, many of them have been affected badly and emotionally.
The film has some comic moments as well as serious moments.
However, the film loses momentum as it goes along, audiences perhaps losing interest in the characters, the more eccentric they seem, as the movie goes on. The character of the woman who has been released on recognisance from prison is one of the most interesting. However, what happens to them during the twenty-four hours of the visit to the wedding is not of great interest unless one is an impassioned feminist, welcoming the opportunity for the stories of women to be presented on screen.
1.A women’s film? Female characters? Issues? The performances of the cast?
2.Interest for Austrian women? European? Non-European? Too particularly focused – or universal?
3.The town settings, for the funeral, for the wedding, in the parks, in the clubs, in the woods, in the shopping malls, on the roads? A realistic atmosphere? The musical score? The range of songs, the American songs, the hymns, the more Pentecostal types, ‘Amazing Grace’? The American songs about locations and going home? The other songs?
4.The occasion, Nina arriving, meeting Stefan, going in to the funeral? The song about Heaven and the choir clapping its hands? Her getting the giggles? Going out, Alex helping her? The aftermath, the various women saying what they remembered of Michael? At the dinner, his wife’s speech, wanting happy memories? The ironies of what was to follow?
5.The progress of the women during the day: the funeral, the speeches, the dancing, their discussions amongst themselves, going to the school, the tour of the school, going to the playground, going to the wedding, the dancing, going to the club, the night, in the woods, the dawn, finding their own camping place, going back to Brigitta’s house to rest, the supermarket?
6.The characters in themselves: Nina, pregnant, laughing and weeping, the deportation of the father of the child, her not wanting to have another abortion, her getting the giggles, cheerful, with Norbert at the wedding, his advances on her, her loving him, the clash with the bride? Her being supportive during the evening? Joining in the festivities? Her friendship with Daphne?
7.Brigitta: quiet, the revelation that she had had an affair with Michael, standing on the outer, not going for the tour of the school, her mixed behaviour at the wedding, at the club, the clashes with Alex? In the activities, afterwards?
8.Alex: dignified and well-dressed, her speech, her being rowdy, the striptease at the club? Her drinking a great deal, not being steady, being sick? Going with the group, the tension with Brigitta? Her helping Daphne?
9.Carmen, the actress, the others thinking she was above them, the revelation of her past affair with Michael? The phone, standing aloof? Yet joining in helping, her kindness to Daphne? Her open discussions with the rest of the group?
10.Nicole: awkward, laughing at the wrong times, saying the wrong thing, especially about Carmen and her career? Her bringing Daphne? Her enjoying the festivities, drinking, dancing? The tensions with her daughter, not having enough money, Carmen giving the money? Daphne being lost, the search? The revelation that she was out from prison, the brutality of the group picking her up and taking her back? Daphne, telling the truth, clash with her mother, her grandfather coming to pick her up, embracing her mother?
11.Daphne, her age, absent father, mother in prison, with her grandfather, accompanying the women, joining in, being bored, wanting the cream cake, disappearing, with the younger people?
12.The background of Michael, his wife, their memories of him teaching them, their success? Yet his being exploitive, the relationships? Carmen’s reaction against him?
13.The wedding party, the behaviour of bride and groom, the groom making advances, the bride and the striptease, being drunk, going off to the club? The future of the marriage? The wedding guests and the dancing, shouting and singing, the conga line…?
14.The aftermath, Brigitta and Alex reconciling? Brigitta and her social causes, handing out leaflets, the letters? Nina and the birth of the child? Nicole going back to prison? Alex and the break-up with her boyfriend? Carmen and her doing the voice-overs?
15.How interesting for a female audience, male audience? The presentation of men? The ultimate effect of spending the time with these five thirty-year-old women?
