Falling Down

I'm the bad guy?

How did this happen? I did everything they told me to.

All it takes is one bad day. Remember that.

When I was a kid, I saw it as the progression of an ordinary man pushed too by an inhumane society sort of thing and I thought it was subversive and brilliant. I admit, I didn't get the subtext of the main character. Probably because I was a kid and watched it subtitled and I simply didn't have the references and framework to understand it in some other way. I don't think I was entirely wrong then, but I see it differently now. Today I see it as an exposé of tropes and norms of Hollywood in the eighties and nineties and Schumacher pushing them much like the protagonist over the edge. A full spectrum of angry, hostile and aggressive individuals as they are expected to be in their respective societal positions and bubbles. Also, the more I think about it, the more interesting the form actually is. It's not, as I had thought, about the Douglas character being pushed and flipping over. He is already on that path from before the movie begins. It's the Duvall character that has a preset fade out that actually rebels against his persons of authority. But I digress, this was not why I found it so interesting and exhilarating today. No, I'm thinking along the lines that this is a sort of meta picture. A movie that speaks of the movie industry. The tropes, the norms, all the hostile characters and all that aggression. What if it is about the entertainment machinery educating and upholding and reinforcing these attitudes and values? I'm thinking that maybe it is Schumacher looking back at the moving pictures of the past, realising what they really are, and only then be able to accept that there were wrong in the first place. It gives a different gravitas if it is actually Schumacher speaking as a representative of a generation of directors, wondering how it could have ended up so wrong? We did all that they asked from us. Are we the bad guys? I don't know. Maybe I'm overthinking. But regardless my change of perspective, or maybe actually because of it, I still find Falling Down subversive and fucking brilliant.

Great movie and an excellent Michael Douglas.

How much? 85 cents. 85 cents for a soda? You pay or go! I’m just standing up for my rights as a consumer! How much? 50 cents. It’s been a pleasure frequenting your establishment.

Great movie !

You can watch a movie like this anytime because it doesn`t need CGI and SFX, it tells a stroy. And one that in todays society might be more true than in the 90s.

It doesn`t take much to put one over the hill.

One of the best films ever made. Michael Douglas plays an amazing character to a T. Must watch!

This movie can easily be watched again and again.

This is a great film, it is a little overhyped but I found myself thoroughly invested in this film about a man who is slowly falling down mentally and can't take the pressures of his life or society anymore. By far Michael Douglas's (D-Fens) best performance ever as I believed his character of a man who has just had enough and just wants a day where he can let loose, doesn't mean he is right though and just remember he is technically the "bad guy" as this part of him that you see in the film has always been there mentally dormant.

I'll also give Robert Duvall (Detective Prendergast) his credit as well because he is amazing playing the police detective who is also falling down as no one wants to listen and hear what he has to say about these various crimes that are happening throughout this day, also yeah this film takes place over one day and I will say that you can feel the stress of these characters throughout the film.

If you are looking for a film that shows a mirror to society but also to mental health, I recommend this film as it is insanely clever in its direction from Joel Schumacher and it has actually got some really dark comedic moments. It's just really great filmmaking and it does deserve the credit it gets but some people have a habit of making it sound like the greatest, but I will say it is timeless.

I love movies that keep me thinking after I watched the 90-120 mins. Falling Down is one of them. Also, Michael Douglas and Robert Duvall are fantastic.

One of the classics and amazing humor in such a crazy movie.