Re: pathetic

helena kim (helena@apollo.netsoc.tcd.ie)
Fri, 06 Nov 1998 01:55:22 +0000 (GMT)

On Thu, 5 Nov 1998 Matthew_Stevenson@baylor.edu wrote:

> everybody--relax for christ's sake.  have a beer, take a toke, whatever you
> need to do, but let's get back to intelligent, if not *gasp* intellectual,
> conversations.

i'll try.

i watched the movie 'falling down' again tonight for the third time. and
while i still think it is one of the best pieces of cinema of this decade,
something struck me for the first time.

the whole things smacks of the same themes as catcher. there's the loss of
innocence/protector thing, like holden trying to scratch the 'fuck you'
off the wall, the michael douglas character is trying to stop all the
'bad' people, those who reject family values and live for the dollar etc.

both protagonists seem to see themselves as the last bastion of wholesome,
good civilisation in a city gone mad. (different cities, i know)

when the nazi guy in the army surplus store basement breaks douglas'
daughters birthday gift (a carousel horse in a snowglobe), i swear i could hear the sound of
cracking vinyl as lil shirley beans hits the pavement...

(of course, that is about where the similarity ends. the douglas
character is harmful to those he sees as the 'bad people', whereas holden
is more likely to say nothing and bitch and moan to himself later. 'falling
down' is sort of like what could have happened to holden 20 years down the
line if he went to military school. or something.)

                                         :helena kim

                     helena at netsoc dot tcd dot ie
           'the church is near, but the road is icy.
         the bar is far, but i will walk carefully.'
                                   - russian proverb