Everyone has those little things in everyday life that just make you really angry and make you wish you could act on your urges and speak and show exactly how you feel. This is what happens to William Foster(on another level) on the 1992 movie, Falling Down. In this movie, we watch William have a bad day. A really bad day. After being laid of from his job and divorcing his wife, Will reaches his breaking point on a hot summer day. Trying to get to his daughters birthday, we see Will encounter different kinds of people, from all walks of life, which he interacts with. Will’s interaction with these people let us see his personality and how he might be a bit unstable. Most of these circumstances end in chaos and you start wondering if his actions can actually be justifiable. He becomes an antihero. Will may over exaggerate some of the emotions that he feels, but he makes good points. He also may rip apart a store, but he refuses to steal, and pays for a soda. He may be unstable, but he still has morals, and that speaks a lot for his character. Although he does kill someone in the movie, he does is out of self defense. Defense is a big theme in the movie. Foster is not in it to victimize people or to hurt them, he is just defending himself and his rights. This movie makes you feel so many different ways, and keeps you wondering what will happen next.
“I’m the bad guy? How’d that happen?”
I really enjoyed this movie, it kept me interested the entire time. There are so many aspects to this film and time period that still hold up to this day. I can see what would make this movie very controversial. People say it is very violent and racist, but I wouldn’t really call it that. There are many instances in the movie where yeah, the minorities might be portrayed a certain way, but the social alienation and language barriers, is another thing that just add fuel to Will’s fire. The majority of the characters portrayed negatively in the film are white, so it makes no sense to me that it should be called racist. The movie makes sense even 25 years later, and I feel like that is a reason why I enjoyed it so much. I can relate to Foster at times, even if he does take it a bit to far at times. He is so unpredictable and has so many layers, that you just want to continue watching his every move.
This movie tackles some of the same themes, in a very exaggerated and comical way. God Bless America Trailer
Reviewing the Arts 
What about Robert Duvall’s Prendergast? I felt like the movie was as much about him as it was about D-FENS, and the message seemed to be that he was too sensitive and needed to be a more traditional man again. Does this movie paint white men as the victims?
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Good points Erick. Outside of the white people in the movie being jerks, bullies, psychotic, or fed up (personality flaws,) were they really depicted in a bad way? The white racist isn’t really a stereotype as he obviously was an extreme, harmful, psychotic, version of a racist. He was a singular vs group example, just like the black mirror William. You kind of get the impression that the extreme racist or white collar black man are exceptions to the rule. They made an effort to show the Mexicans looking for jobs but never showed white homeless people doing anything. I guess it’s assumed they are in the middle or already working. I really don’t want to call the movie racist or focus on it because I enjoyed it. The writer obviously believes in the stereotype and might as well have found a reason to include Asians in this as well. Even some black people I know believe stereotypes where black people are the scapegoat for social programs and aren’t interested in advancing. They just will never admit it and movies like this won’t really be offensive. They will judge a white homeless person differently and there is no spotlight for them. I hate to say it, but after thinking it actually seems racist. When I am in a predominantly poor black neighborhood, I see homeless black people. In a Mexican neighborhood, I see homeless Mexicans. In a home depot parking lot I see Latinos, looking for work, that don’t appear homeless. If I am somewhere where there are mixed demographics like downtown Chicago or Las Vegas, I see white homeless people mixed in as well. Just as black homeless people, you will find they struggle with drugs and booze as well. These Americans aren’t necessarily looking for work like Mexicans or undocumented citizens. Did you have any examples where this movie could be considered racist towards white people other than the white extremist?
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