ARIZONA DREAM
A film review by David Wong Shee
Copyright 1994 David Wong Shee
CREDITS:
Director: Emir Kusturica.
Screenwriter: David Atkins.
Actors: Johnny Depp, Jerry Lewis, Faye Dunaway, Lilli Taylor,
Paulina Porizkova.
Composer: Goran Bregovic.
SYNOPSIS: The film follows the adventures of Axel (Johnny Depp), a young man living in New York happy with his job of counting and tagging fish for the NY Fisheries service who believes that by gazing into the eyes of the fish they can share their dreams with him and they, his. He returns to the small Arizona town of his childhood for the occasion of his Cadillac selling Uncle Leo's (Jerry Lewis) wedding to Millie (Paulina Porizkova). Soon afterward he becomes amorously entangled with a beautiful Elaine (Faye Dunaway), flying enthusiast, and her daughter Grace (Lilli Taylor), accordion player and mining tycoon. The drama proceeds along the theme of competition between Elaine and Grace for Axel's affections (a la MRS ROBINSON).
COMMENTS: The delight in the film arose for me, out of its spectacular surreal and absurdist imagery, e.g., a fish flying down the main street and the clever use of a balloon in transition from a dream sequence into "reality." There is an extraordinary scene where a tree is set aflame by lightning in the pouring rain next to a house decorated with lights. Some of the scenes of conflict between Elaine, Grace and Axel were somewhat of a test of emotional endurance. I must admit to having been particularly struck by Lilli Taylor who reminded me a lot of Lauren Bacall.
In terms of comparisons with other films: BLISS is the closest contemporary film I have seen which resembles it; Wim Wender's PARIS TEXIS is another illustration of a European director set in against a backdrop of American urban wilderness. There are entertaining quotations/excerpts from NORTH BY NORTHWEST, RAGING BULL, and THE GODFATHER in the film. There is a reference to the script of THE WIZARD OF OZ in the credits which I must have missed during the film.
* Seen at the 1994 Melbourne International Film Festival.
-- * David Wong Shee * david@zikzak.apana.org.au * LONG LIVE THE NET! *
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