the normal routine of living anymore, and begins a trial of violence in the asphalt Jungle called Los Angeles.

tell you is that times were a bit more simple then. For the most part, you had one income in the household. You had T.V and radio as your entertainment and kids went outside to play. Now you must have both parents working so you can have that double income. Kids are obsessed with the internet and videogames and so on. What does all of this have to with the film? Everything!Falling Down is about the decay in one man's life and how it affects not only him but those around him. There is one very powerful scene in the film that can sum up everything.There is a key moment in Falling Down that is sad in it's reality, but true in it's opinion. Douglas is in a surplus store and the guy running it is a Nazi sympathizer. When Douglass doesn't share his opinions, they get into a confrontation. The guy snaps and tells Douglas to spread against the wall. He obliges and then the Nazi guy wants to handcuff him. He tells Douglas to give him his hand, he does. Then he tells Douglas to give him his other hand. Douglas is supporting himself on the wall in a 30 degree angle and if he gives the guy his other hand " he'll fall down. " Which is precisely what he tells the Nazi guy. This is a microcosm of the film and a microcosm of what may be wrong with not only society but people in general. There is a theory in wrestling that your arms and legs are like a table, if you take out any two of the legs or arms, your opponent falls down and is vulnerable. Same thing with a human being. Take away so many of his limbs job, wife, dignity, credit rating, kids, etc. and it may be only a matter of time before that person does snap. This movie shows us what happens to one individual that does snap. He wasn't all that bad to begin with, but as time went on and he was " lied " to, he can't handle it and finally one day, he has had enough. I think this film is more important than people realize and if you have only seen it once, see it again. You may see something that you didn't see before. Hats off to Schumacher and Douglas who had the guts to make this film.

kind of like he realizes, "Hey, I'm this far, why not complain about the burger while I'm at it? It's always bugged me anyway!" Falling Down represents all Americans: the aggravations, road rage we hear about, everything. Every day situations in a new perspective. 5/5 stars- JOHN ULMER

played the neo Nazi was creepy n hilarious. The cosmetic surgeon's house scene, the golf ground scene, the burger scene n the store scene, I found all these scenes darkly comical. Douglas' middle class person act was mind blowing. He potrayed the character who has to go thru everyday nuances very well. Working hard still ain't able to purchase a house, non payment of rent, road n traffic issues, employment issues, etc. The effect of consumerism has on each of us is dealt with properly in this film. The funny part is that the rich doesn't care about inflation or monetary probs, the poor gets government n ngo's aid while the middle class is stuck between em like a sandwich. The government doesn't care about him, they care about vote banks and that lies within the poor community.

confusion! I'm not saying i would ever go as far as Michael Douglas does when he cant get his breakfast 2 minutes after the cut off time in this film but i understand EXACTLY how he feels.!. Falling Down is a very good interpretation on how if someone not quite the full package, comes up against the day to day greedyness ,rudeness and descrimination of todays western society and how he feels he needs to get his point across in his own way. This is a very good film and is superbly acted,especially from Duvall and Douglas. 8 out of 10.

will most likely leak in to the annals of obscurity, this one will always remain in my video collection.

he suffer from a major to psychotically and violently unstable mental breakdown. Without spoiling the movie, too much, I have to say, that, the English Hard Rock Band, Iron Maiden got it right with this man. He was truly on the edge, with each step gets closer to losing his head. Even if, we can't condone his extreme actions, as least, some of us, can relate to the issues, he had to deal with. Everybody, at least, had one of these days. If you can't relate to his struggles, as least, you can understand, the frustrations that Det. Martin Prendergast Robert Duvall , had to deal with on his last day on the force on figuring out the mystery, who is this madman, is all about. Both of these character's stories, make 'Falling Down', a very intriguing, yet challenging movie, worth watching. Added to that, is the wonderful use of music by James Newton Howard that set the mood, and powerful visual cinematography from Andrzej Bartkowiak under Schumacher's direction. Sunny LA has never look, so bleak and hopeless, before. Great use of desaturated and low tech camera-work and shooting at rundown locations. Also great use of symbolism and metaphors throughout the film, like the running use of the lyrics of 'London Bridge' & others. However, I do have to say, the film isn't with some faults & I'm not talking about the minor nitpicking goofs. I'm talking about how the film was notorious criticize by critics at the time, for its treatment of minorities; mostly with how they show Korean and Latino Americans as thugs. It got so bad, that Warner Brothers canceled the release of 'Falling Down' in South Korea & certain Latin America countries following boycott threats. In my opinion, while I can understand the reasons, why minorities groups like Korean & Latino American Coalition got anger. After all, the film was made, during and released just after the 1992 Los Angeles Riot where Koreans and Latinos were targeted by police and looters. In truth, there was plenty of positive, Hispanic & Asian Americans characters in the film, like Detective Brian Steve Park & Detective Sandra Torres Rachel Ticotin . Both characters were played by Korean and Latina performers. If anything, if you look at the majority of negatively characters, throughout the film. Most of them, were portray with white actors. Plus, as a minority, the portrayal weren't as bad, as people back then, make it out to be. Compare to other films back then, it's pretty tame. I just think, these groups are just missing the point. The film is trying to tackle the struggles, of trying to get along, despite cultural differences, language as well, as the economic conditions, in which, many of us, Americans, lived under. Honestly, if there is any real faults for this film, it wouldn't be their use of harsh-language & violence; if anything, it would be, due to the fact, that the film couldn't stop itself, being label as the negative 'angry white racism man' movie. While, on the surface, the film might look like the stereotypically disproportionally portrayal of an older White Americans, having animosity toward minorities; in truth, the film is nothing like that. We sees, throughout the film, William Foster getting along with a number of minorities. Some good examples are the 'Under Construction' scene, where a young unnamed black kid Valentino Harrison teach him, how to use a bazooka and the scene with the not economically viable man Vondie Curtis-Hall . There is even, a scene where Foster disagree with a Neo-Nazi Surplus Store Owner Frederic Forrest about race. Because of that, I can't say, Foster is a racism character, nor can I say the movie glorifies lawbreaking. Of course, we see many elements of our society that contributed to his madness. However, the movie never condones his actions as the right thing to do. He's never the hero. If anything, Robert Duvall's character, is. Despite that, I do have to say, portrayal Foster is probably the best role, Michael Douglas has done, since 1987's 'Wall Street'. You really do see, the unbalance nature of his character, trying to figure out, what is right and what is wrong in a world that he views is upside down. You see his alienation, disgust and mounting rage against what he perceives to be an increasingly unfair and depersonalized world. However, I can't say, the same with Robert Duvall's character. His performance was a bit, too similar to the role, he played in 1988's 'Colors'; still interesting, but in the end, he really didn't stand out as much as Douglas does. After all, Douglas's character inspired the creation of the one-episode character Frank Grimes from The Simpsons 23th episode "Homer's Enemy," on Season 8 and received a parodic homage song in Foo Fighters' video for "Walk". In the end, the dark comedy of this movie really does payoff; both tragedy and humorous. Either way, it's a film that inspires quite a bit of discussion and debate. That's one thing, I love about this movie. It makes you think. Depending on who you ask, this film is either social commentary on the dangers of capitalism, and the ignorance of the citizen under it or the call to arms for conservatism against the dangers of liberalism. All these arguments have merit and it could be any of this. That's why, this is one movie that is worth seeing.