Mental Disturbance
In the film Falling Down, the main character D-FENS, played by Michael Douglas, deals with many ongoing social pressures that ultimately lead to his demise. At the start of his day, D-FENS' long-accumulated personal problems hit a boiling point and carry the man to a severe mental breakdown. He abandons his grid locked car during a traffic jam and decides to walk to the place he calls "home." Viewers are later opened to the fact that the place he would like to call home no longer welcomes him, nor does the wife and child he left behind. Throughout the day, his goal to reach his x-wife and daughter's residence in Venice Beach, California, acts as his motivation. This circumstance brings him in contact with many people who add to his already perturbed mental state. Inflated prices at a Korean-owned quickie-mart, a run-in with gang members on their "piece of shit hill" (Schumacher, Falling Down), and a modern day Neo-NAZI are some of the many factors that contribute to the character's irrational behavior. After sitting through the entire duration of this 1 hour 53 minute film, it is apparent that the main character suffers from Antisocial and Borderline personality disorders and mood and stress related psychological di
Yet another psychological disorder D-FENS has symptoms of is a mood disorder known as depression. Depression "dramatically impairs a persons ability to function in social situations and at work" (Microsoft Encarta 2000). This is an evident trait in D-FENS. His Mother, whom he had been living with up until his breakdown, tells investigators of the man's despondency. Apparently, for the last month he would sit at the dinner table, never eating or communicating with his mother nor telling anyone he had been fired from his job. This treatment slowly drove the woman to her own form of insanity. Another characterization of a person with depression is one who possesses "feelings of despair, hopelessness, worthlessness, and has thoughts of suicide" (Microsoft Encarta 2000). By the end of the film, D-FENS realizes he can never be the type of father that was "worthy" of his daughter's love, nor provide for her financially. Consequently, he engineers his own form of suicide where he convinces the investigating detective that he possesses a loaded gun, when in actuality it is a water gun. Hence, the officer must shoot in self-defense. This "assisted suicide" is the only way D-FENS can feel satisfied with himself, as his daughter is the sole beneficiary of his life insurance policy. Yet, another symptom of depression is denial. D-FENS repeatedly calls the home of his x-wife saying "I'm coming home" (Schumacher, Falling Down) and his x-wife must remind him continuously that (1) he does not live there anymore (2) they are not married anymore and (3) that there is a restraining order against him making it illegal for him to come visit his daughter.
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1514
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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