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Falling Down - Patreon Version
🕑 Added 2025-07-31 12:00:08 +0000 UTCNo Sync Required Version: https://cinebingers.ca/smVrsGZKG3 - For Patreon tier "Bingers on The Wall" or higher.
movie runtime: 01:52:35
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Additional thoughts (George):
After reading everyones opinions on this film, which were very interesting btw, what stood out for me the most after some time to let it sink in is that the opening scene with the traffic jam is a summary of Douglas' entire character. The traffic jam isnt something thats happening just to him and him alone, everyone else is feeling the heat, the noise and the discomfort. Hell, Duvals character is like 4 cars behind him, and while I sympathize and applaud the decision to say 'fuck it' and leave a bad scenario, the choice he made, just like the rest of the film, was really self serving and at the cost of others. In that he left his car behind which directly made things even worse for all those behind him, blocking what was already a congested road.
So while he got out, he left the environment worse for everyone else who are also in the same situation as him. It reminds me of a news story from years ago where a man set his apartment on fire because of his terrible landlords unreasonable price hike, and what that guy hadnt considered is how his action ruined the lives of others in the building who cant afford to just say fuck it at that moment. This also serves to show how directly opposite Douglas and Duvals characters were, while Douglas' character did mostly self serving things, Duvals character was always in sacrifice to others. His change to a desk job was for his wife, his early retirement was for his wife, his motivation and even career is all in serving others, and his character growth was that he needed to stand up for himself a bit more and do something for himself and be less of a doormat.
Ultimately while I understand and even sympathize with some of the gripes he had, I see him as a villain and not just an anti-hero. To me, the what differentiates villain and anti-hero is internal motivation; An anti-hero is a protagonist who, despite having flaws and sometimes resorting to morally questionable actions, ultimately strives for a goal that aligns with good or at least benefits others. V, Eric Draven, Michael Corleone and Travis Bickel for example. While a villain on the other hand does things driven by selfish desires and a disregard for the well-being of others. A villain might claim otherwise to justify the action, but the motivation is ultimately self serving, even something as simple as forcing "horsies" on a toddler.
These are of course just my thoughts and opinions on an entirely subjective experience.
Comments
Deadly Ramon
That opening scene reminded me a bit of what Robert Plant did at the end of his video for Burning Down One Side, from his Pictures at Eleven LP, which was released in 1982. Robert, however, did pull off to the side before abandoning his vehicle so that the main lanes weren't affected.
Deadly Ramon
The neo-nazi military surplus store owner is played by Frederic Forrest, who died 2 years ago at age 86. I remember him fondly as Captain Richard Jenko from the first season of 21 Jump Street, which aired in 1987. In it, he played an idealistic law enforcement officer in his early 50s who led a team of young undercover cops to operate in high schools and, later in the series, universities. To go from a liberal former hippie who idolizes Jimi Hendrix to a national socialist shows the actor's range and versatility. The hosts I think should react to that TV series. It hosted perhaps the first mainstream appearance of Johnny Depp in a starring role, and though the setting is in the United States (in a fictional city and state), the filming took place in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Lucas
Hunger Games marathon?
Jonas Buckner
As Simone said, this movie has some of the most blatant symbolism. A big one is its commentary on white supremacy. Foster was a white man in 20th-century America and was promised that he would be safe and happy, as long as he did exactly what they told him to do. He had degree. He worked at a respectable company. He had a wife and kid. When the nazi says, "you and I are the same," he's not entirely wrong: Foster was equally depraved, but he had been on the respectable side of society. His job was literally making weapons to be used on people in far away countries whose lives he had no thought or care for. He even believed it when they told him he was keeping Americans (the right people) safe. He was told that as long as he participated in this brutal and unfair system, he would always be taken care of. When he discovered that he was just as expendable as everyone else in this system, he couldn't handle that he wouldn't get the things he felt entitled to, that he'd always been told he was entitled to. He was fine with status quo, probably even voted for it, and he was fine with suffering around him because he benefited. He had no need for a moral compass because as an educated white man in America, he had script to follow that would lead him to success. As you said, he had an idea of how things were supposed to go, and he snapped when things didn't work out that way.
