Quintessentially 90s But Extremely Prescient

Every so often I rewatch this film and this latest time absolutely struck a hard chord, maybe because the structure and overall message of the film is playing out on a large scale in real-time in the West: the disenfranchised straight male.

It's funny but this is the first time that I've seen this film and noticed so many small and intricate details scattered throughout, as well as the constant juxtaposition and antipodes nature of different elements that create this surrealist narrative.

There is this constant duality being presented in the film almost at every turn, which is really fascinating to watch, because unlike a lot of other more modern films that hide behind lots of green screen and CGI, everything in this film was on location and and grounded in the gritty realism of Los Angeles actual.

But with the juxtapositions, it was interesting because the "not economically viable" black guy was dressed exactly like Bill and was in the exact same position as him in life, only his civil disobedience landed him in jail. It was quite the foreshadowing when the black guy tells him, "don't forget about me", and Bill gives a very reluctant yet understanding nod. It would set the groundwork for Bill's demise later when he would say he didn't want to see his girl grow up from behind bars.

It was also interesting that the main thing Bill fought for throughout the film was the thing that also pushed him over the edge, and was also the thing his wife worked hard to keep him from: his daughter.

It was ironic because without that impetus, none of what he did would have transpired, but then again, it was also his reason for wanting to live. Without his family he would have simultaneously had no reason to do what he did but also no reason to strive to stay alive as long as he did.

It's interesting because when you look at real life, you see the startling spike in suicides among straight young males. This is because they recognise that family life is not something they can nominally achieve given the current economic crisis in the West, but also the dating market is borked. The impetus to strive is no longer there, so they've checked out of the game.

The film offers both the solution and the problem facing many men in the West; the crisis in the duality of striving to survive: you need a reason to strive, but the reason to strive is not something sustainable in today's society unless all the stars align. And like Bill, a lot of people who do everything they're told still lose, like Bill.

There's also no black and white presentation of any of Bill's encounters. Everything is more nuanced; the gay Nazi guy who tries to take advantage of Bill; the plastic surgeon's house occupied by the groundkeeper's family; the construction work that impedes throughway but the worker has no idea why; the golfer who suffers a heart attack and loses his pills because he just couldn't be gracious.

I think ultimately, the key element to all of Bill's problems -- and something we see playing out in real life now -- spawned from a lack of grace; none from the store owner, or the gang members, or the burger employees, or even his own wife. It was also ironic because the only one willing to afford him grace, Pendergast, is also the one who kills him.