On May 26, 1993, director Joel Schumacher offered an important work that was strictly reflected in the American society: a free fall. A kind of modernized driver under the adrenaline, she plays Michael Douglas in the role of a shredded man who will go to the streets of Los Angeles with a crusade.
This character, William Foster, is an American who has nothing to do with anyone else; He patiently patients with his individual car cabin, registered “D-Fens”, which was inserted with a huge road jam, is hot fever. There is a flight noise. The man understands that he is collecting a delay so that he will not arrive in time for his daughter’s birthday.
In anger, he leaves his car and tries to walk. It will not tolerate any obstacles. It destroys the grocery store, fights with bandits, puts it on the arsenal, with machine guns in all winds and does not leave fast food units. Inspector Prendor is hunting him. Free drop is an illustration that perfectly assimilates contradictions and violence in the heart of our civilization.
A man against society in war
Unjustly forgotten, this masterpiece of the 90’s really deserves a look if you have never seen it. Beyond the tension of Michael Douglas at the top of his art, the rest of the casting should not be overcome. In the Inspector’s costume, Robert Duval has integrated retirement.
Barbara Hersai is also sad in the role of William Foster, trying to escape a man who was completely “hidden”. Joel Schumacher shapes the visceral work, explores the character’s psyche, which frees himself from the shakes and dictates of society that surrounds and destroys ordinary men.
The filmmaker makes the scenario written by Ebbe Roe Smith, with the climate of extremely anxiety, all this blows in the summer sun of California. This story drives us to the wandering of his main character in hell; Auscultural work with avant -garde gravity of the boring anger of men of our time, the victim of their personal life (divorce, unemployment, isolation).
America for his violence
Michael Douglas explains William Foster’s concern with such brilliance that he becomes as fascinating as horror. When he explodes all his anger and his frustrations, we can only be interested in his own relationship with violence. The actor offers one of the most intense career performances. It accurately embodies the banality of violence without going to the caricature. He performs a man who is dangerous and pathetic.
At that time, many viewers showed this deaf anger, even if they were not proven. The film becomes a kind of distortion of middle -class madness due to globalization, cultural changes and, above all, the failure of the American Dream.
In this sense, if the free fall is also awesome, it is also thanks to the refusal of the hero or monster. This is sometimes understandable (when it denies abusive prices or bureaucracy), sometimes dangerous (when it is violent or xenophobic). This makes the audience uncomfortable: we laugh, then we feel guilty.
This is how the viewer is able to get out of his comfort zone and surprise himself. To do this, he must sympathize with the film protagonist. Free Autumn makes us question your own limits: How far can we go if we lose everything? Does society produce these types of men?
Always the current story
In addition, history crosses several districts of Los Angeles and opposes Foster with immigrants, traders, homeless, gangs … Through it, this is the whole difficulty of urban America. We feel racial tension, economic conflicts, social disintegration, loneliness, fear of fear.
More than 30 years after its release, the free fall is relevant, probably more than at the time. Topics of alienation, discontent, social fracture, silent radicalization … are firmly resonated in the current context. The story acts as a radiograph of collective discomfort through the personal history of a crisis. It breaks, questions and does not give simple answers.
Since then, pop culture has received memorable film sequences such as fast food. This scene only crystallizes central themes: the absurdity of the system, personal frustration, violence and a sense of injustice. It emphasizes bureaucratic absurdity and dehumanization, which all stops with the strength of the rules of the consumer society.
Rapper Disiz La Plague will make a parody in the famous clip of his song called “Je Péte Le Plés”Great success when it came out in 2000. The artist shook his head, who was dressed in a free fall like Michael Douglas and repeated a certain cult sequence of Joel Schumacher’s feature film in his own way.
Anyway, the free fall remains a fabulous and relevant work, which is very interesting to review the glasses of our time. It is not available on the platform, unfortunately, but you can get it on Blu-ray, DVD or VOD.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
