Introduction"Arizona Dream" is a surrealist-comedy film from 1993, directed by Emir Kusturica and starring Johnny Depp, Jerry Lewis, Faye Dunaway, and Lili Taylor. It is a quirky tale of dreams, fish flying around the desert, dead Eskimos, romantic entanglements, and a fascination with Cadillacs. The film won the Silver Bear - Special Jury Prize at the 43rd Berlin International Film Festival.
Plot SummaryThe movie presents the protagonist, Axel Blackmar (Johnny Depp), who works in New York as a fish categorizer however invests much of his leisure time dreaming about Eskimos. His life changes when his cousin Paul (Vincent Gallo) coaxes him to go back to their home town in Arizona for their uncle Leo's (Jerry Lewis) wedding event, an eccentric Cadillac salesperson. After a not successful try at convincing Axel to join his company, Leo designates Paul to handle the Cadillac dealer.
Dreams and Love TriangleIn Arizona, Axel experiences 2 very different females: Elaine (Faye Dunaway), an eccentric widow with a fixation for developing flying machines, and her stepdaughter Grace (Lili Taylor), a delicate and disturbed artist who brings deep animosities for Elaine. Axel gets entangled in a complex and strange love triangle with Elaine and Grace. He starts living with Elaine and becomes her fan, much to Grace's distaste. However, Axel and Grace develop a peculiar relationship; they capture and assemble various creatures, embodying their dreams and life viewpoints.
ResolutionAs the movie advances, tensions between Elaine and Grace escalate and lead to tragic figures. Devastated by the turn of occasions, Axel leaves his Arizona life behind, returns to New York, where he again pictures the lives of Eskimos. In the last scene, Axel is seen fishing with an old Eskimo, who unexpectedly dies. Axel decides to bury him in the conventional Eskimo way by sending him out to sea on a floating ice platform, into the surreal Arctic sea. The last frames reveal this Eskimo waving towards Axel, pointing that someday all dreams fulfill truth.
Conclusion"Arizona Dream" is known for its fantastic vision, eccentric characters, and dreamy series, all of which blend to create a surreal and deep impression of life and the complexity of human relationships. Its dreamy landscapes and many subplots work as metaphors for Axel, a kid having a hard time to grow up and pertain to terms with his obligations. Deliberately disorderly and disjointed, the film utilizes humor and tragedy alike to question the nature of the adult years, the significance of following your dreams, and the tensions that can occur between dream and reality.
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