We live in an era where films just aren’t timeless anymore. How many of the modern-day blockbusters or even indie darlings would you consider revisiting 30 years into the future? Well, the answer is not that many, to be honest. However, going back even to the 90s, we’ve received films that will stick with you for generations to come. Falling Down might not be an untouchable masterpiece of storytelling or content, but it is a deeply memorable film simply because of how relevant this film is despite releasing back in 1993. This is director Joel Schumacher’s magnum opus, a film that he consistently tried to beat in his career moving forward but never managed to ever again.
How to Download Falling Down (1993)
You can download the film from a digital store. You can also stream it. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. Check also other films by Joel Schumacher, for example, Batman Forever and Batman & Robin.
The Movie Review
Falling Down, a narrative about an ordinary man shows a man’s fall from grace after believing he had everything under control and had no reason to be concerned. The anonymous main character was a well-paid defense professional living in Los Angeles with a wife and child. The sun rose every morning, and there didn’t seem to be anything to worry about. However, there must have been warning signs because later in the film, we find out that he had violent outbursts toward his wife and child, that he is divorced, that a court order forbids him from speaking to them, and that his life is in ruins. He seemingly has nothing left to lose, so instead, he chooses violence.
Joel Schumacher has created one of the most convincing, endearing, and unsettling antiheroes of all time in the movie Falling Down. It’s a moving story about the average person ultimately growing tired of all the hodge-podge, irritability, and unfair circumstances that characterize contemporary life. It’s a film that, at first, is equally funny and true, mixing a form of dark humor with a contemporary message that sticks out. However, as the story progresses further and further, it starts to get more genuine, more unsettling, but also more grounded in its message.
The film’s hero primarily targets African-Americans, Latinos, and Koreans with a few white people tossed in for balance, some people may believe this film to be racist due to these particular situations depicted here. However, both of these readings of the film are superficial. Falling Down isn’t about hating in particular, it is about a deep melancholy that descends into lunacy and can affect anyone who is informed. It shows how the common struggles after putting a lot of effort into their life, only to realize that he is pointless and irrelevant.
The fact that the movie features two actors who are at the peak of their careers also helps. In his quiet, expressionless portrayal of a man pushed to the breaking point and beyond, Michael Douglas gives one of his best performances ever. Robert Duvall co-stars as an aging officer who is hard on his heels, and this arc could have been genuinely boring or overly time-consuming but turns out to be great simply due to Duvall’s performance. Duvall is rarely given an opportunity to shine in most of the roles he picks up, however, this is one of those few roles where he truly gets to showcase his acting talents.
Falling Down – the Visuals and the Music
Visually though, there’s a lot to be desired. Joel Schumacher is many things but he isn’t great at visually representing the core feelings of a film. Nor has his aesthetic in terms of cinematography ever been truly ideal. This problem also affects Falling Down, where the film’s narrative and visual storytelling have little to no chemistry whatsoever. The soundtrack is great though and backs up the film quite well. It’s not sonic literature by any means, but it is a 90s soundtrack that fits the film and elevates it to a certain pedigree.
The Verdict
The satire of contemporary America by Joel Schumacher is still relevant today. This suspenseful film has lots of humor and exciting action sequences. Schumacher, however, has the audacity to make the stories about fast food restaurants and customer service feel relevant in a film of this sort. Although there are scattered instances of romanticism and a bland aesthetic in Falling Down, this work of art still contains generous helpings of the darkest comedy and a dash of pure uniqueness.
