Film Review: Qualitative Analysis of Meaningful Male Relational Images in Falling Down

Relational cultural therapy tenets are based on feminist theory but can be used with male clients using cinematherapy. Falling Down, a movie about a middle-aged man in crisis during times of social upheaval in Los Angeles, is examined for the main relational images and their influence on the central relational paradox through narrative qualitative analysis. Codes for visual, auditory, and somatosensory aspects were applied and the frequency of co-occurrences calculated. “Home” was found to be the most significant relational image among the main male characters ensuing from the central relational paradox. The study shows how relational images can be examined and be applied in cinematherapy with male clients.