“Falling Down” is an outstanding movie. The main character, D-FENS, is a middle-aged man who has lost his job, divorced and finds himself stuck in noisy traffic on a hot summers day. The direction and editing quickly convey that D-FENS may be on the brink of a breakdown. He attempts to call his ex-wife but remains silent, leaving her frightened. It’s clear that something is not right with him.
As he travels across the city, he encounters a series of conflicts. D-FENS is unravelling and now, he refuses to tolerate any nonsense from society. Each conflict is incredibly satisfying to watch, as D-FENS confronts situations many of us can relate to. I can’t help but root for him as he challenges individuals who represent the darker aspects of society: bureaucracy, greed, consumerism, and racism.
Let’s look at the scenes in more detail to see if he is being heroic or not and observe how well executed in terms of writing and direction.
THE BEGINNING
The movie begins with D-FENS stuck in traffic. His air conditioning is broken, and the window won’t roll down. Meanwhile, the people in the car next to him are shouting, horns are honking, children are screaming, and a grizzly smile from Garfield adds to the tension in a strange way. D-FENS’s anxiety increases noticeably, and eventually, he leaves his car on the road. A driver shouts, “Where are you going?” to which he replies that he is going home. The editing in this scene effectively builds tension, allowing the audience to feel his pain and witness his deteriorating mental state.
KOREAN GROCERY STORE
From the start of the movie, it seems like we’re on D-FENS’ side. We can sense that he is having a tough time, and the traffic looks chaotic. He cuts through some bushes and tries to make a call on a public phone but doesn’t have enough change, so he goes into a nearby Korean grocery store. The store owner isn’t helpful and refuses to give him change unless he buys something. This is where the writing shines, as it highlights very relatable situations—while they may seem like minor issues, it doesn’t exactly make your life easier and often downright unfair! But really, it’s not a big deal, unless you’re on the verge of a mental breakdown. D-FENS picks up a can of Coke, but finds it overpriced, leaving him without enough change for the phone call. After a brief exchange, a tussle breaks out, and D-FENS reacts by taking a price audit and smashing up the store with a baseball bat. Here’s a very small clip of the scene.
So, do you think the storekeeper deserved it? Does this make D_FENS a hero in your mind? Let’s look at the next scene.
GANGLAND SCENE
Have you ever walked into someone’s territory and been confronted by gang members? Me neither. D-FENS sits down to fix his shoe and encounters two intimidating hoodlums. D-FENS calmly talks to them like adults, explaining that he will be on his way. Despite this, they want money. D-FENS, sick of the threatening behaviour pulls out a baseball bat and teaches them a lesson. You go, D-FENS! What would you likely do in this situation? I’d probably pee myself. Check out the clip below.
FASTFOOD RESTAURANT
Have you ever gone into McDonald’s to get a sausage and egg McMuffin only to be told that breakfast had finished 3 minutes ago? And you wonder ‘How difficult is it just to give me what I want’. Though there are good reasons for this… I can only assume. Regardless of unsaid reasons, it has pissed me off royally in the past. (Why don’t they just serve them all day like in Hong Kong? Just trying to make life more difficult I suppose.) Anyway, I digress. All D-FENS wants is a bit of breakfast but no, it’s 3 minutes past and they have switched to the lunch menu. He calls the manager, but the bureaucratic dumpster fire won’t budge. D-Fens gets some sort of heavy-duty gun out and insists that they better make him a breakfast. Hurray we all cheer in the cinema/homes. Things go from bad to worse as he is given a flat shitty burger that looks like it’s been squished and shoved through a letter box. We’ve all been there. The picture is a luscious round thick juicy burger on a perfect bun but what do you get instead? A pile of crap. Come on D-FENS, teach those fast food mutha fudgers a lesson. This is quite a comical scene with a mixture of great comedic timing and direction. I love the line from the waitress who seems to take a shining to D-FENS and says, ‘you can call me Miss Paulson if you want?’ with a flirtatious smile. It’s interesting and complex that they added this characters reaction as it is unlikely to react in that way but it makes the audience frame D-FENS in a heroic and attractive light. Another great moment is when D-FENS insists that Rick the manager, makes his order. Rick is completely frozen with his hands up and the staff just get the order together and pile it up in his hands. Hilarious. Is D-FENS doing the right thing here? No but it’s a lot of fun to watch.
THE NAZI FASCIST
D-FENS goes into a shop to buy some new shoes. A police officer comes in shortly after asking questions to the shop keeper and D-FENS hides himself. The shopkeeper is aware of this and gets rid of the police officer. The shopkeeper has heard on his police scanner about the attack on the fast-food restaurant and puts 2 and 2 together. The shopkeeper praises D-FENS for the attack and shares his enthusiasm for WW2 memorabilia. This guy is a sick nazi fascist who revels in the death of jews during the holocaust. He then compares himself with D-FENS, saying that they are on the same side. D-FENS is not a racist or a fascist, he just wants to get home and possibly murder his whole family in a demented rage. But at least he is not a fascist scum pig and to the audience he becomes more heroic because of this. This nazi is terrifying and the whole scene makes you physically sick to think that there might be people out there like this. See the clip below.
ANTIHERO VS VILLAIN PROTAGONIST
Recognizing an antihero can sometimes be straightforward, while other times it falls into a grey area, leading to differing perceptions of the character. This ambiguity can be quite enjoyable for debate. When a lead character or protagonist intentionally engages in bad or morally wrong actions, they are classified as a villain protagonist, not an antihero. Examples of villain protagonists include Scarface, The Godfather, Patrick Bateman from American Psycho, and Frank Lucas from American Gangster.
In contrast, examples of antiheroes include Walter White, who sells meth to provide for his family after his death; Dr. Gregory House, who is rude, arrogant, and obnoxious but believes his behaviour ultimately helps save lives; and Captain Jack Sparrow, who, despite his greedy and morally ambiguous actions, often ends up doing good by saving other characters while pursuing treasure.
There is some confusion about the distinction between the two. If you google both of these definitions, you will find character examples that contradict each other. Dexter Morgan for example appears in a Google list of villain protagonists and in a list of anti-heroes. I would say that he is an anti-hero because he tries his best from killing innocent people and releases his darkness onto those that deserve it. Sounds heroic to me.
Conclusion
D-FENS is a villain protagonist, meaning he is a lead character with bad intentions. Although we don’t see these intentions fully realized, they are felt in the subtext throughout the story. Along the way, he seeks to enact his own form of justice against society, but ultimately, we understand that his actions are wrong. Nonetheless, it is entertaining to watch.
