Arizona Dream article
It's a kind of film which isn't easy to describe. It's difficult to split subtlety and magic of Kusturica's opus into prime elements. And it's even more difficult to judge it. But you can always try...
The story? Audiences accustomed with "romantic comedies" or B-grade action flicks might suffer from somewhat aesthetic shock but the film isn't over-noetic, so don't get frighten. Here we have Axel Blackmar (Johnny Depp) orphaned 23y.o. man, or rather a boy should I say. For Axel still refuses to grow up, staying away from people and big city life. He works in Fishery Department in NY where he picks out fish from local river, brands them and sets free. Some might not expect much of an intellectual fineness from a man who's seen more fish muffle than human faces in his life but Axel is a pleasant surprise. He's a philosopher in his own unique way. And experiences very symbolic and lyrical dreams. He has quite mystic attitude to his work to say the least: "Most people think I count fish, but I don't. I look at their souls, their dreams and then I let them into my dreams". It's a kind of attitude which sets rhythm for the whole movie...
Axel's situation diametrically changes when his uncle Leo (Jerry Lewis) calls him to join his family in Arizona state. Axel gets convinced by his atypical cousin Paul (Vincent Gallo) and both begin their journey to Arizona. Leo Sweetie is a Cadillac dealer, common American "man of success". Apart from his lucrative business he's also a proud owner of a very young bride and Axel is supposed to be his groomsman. Millie, bride's name, is quite sentimental gal from Poland, twice younger than her future husband. There's nothing odd then with a fact that she occasionally likes to burst out with hysterical cry. The uncle tries to persuade Axel about Cadillac trade being the most reasonable occupation for him (Leo states Axel should leave "fish business" simply because fish are.. dumb). Finally, he gets Axel to work for him during two test-weeks. On first days of his new job, when Axel begins to practise his most captivating "Hello" greeting for customers he meets two ladies. Both being quite peculiar characters...
Elaine (Faye Dunaway) is nearly 40y.o. but still attractive woman, with many man tightly gripping her foxy tuft. Her daughter Grace (Lili Taylor) is quite a contradiction. Not as pretty girl with very low self-esteem who stayed in her mother's shadow for years. Subtle and quiet Axel eventually becomes their slave. Elaine and Grace constantly try to win his tender affirmation and use different tricks to receive success. Their strategies sometimes seem rather odd, they're not afraid to reach most radical means to add at least a tiny bit of happiness to each other's life. For that's how they see Axel - a ray of hope, lightening their dull life, not as an object of love though. Elaine seduces him more for her own entertainment but her emotional inconstancy looks more like schizophrenia. While Grace seeks for reliance and confessor. Axel is fascinated with both of them, although he knows he got trapped between two so varied sources of lust.
But the film doesn't talk about lust only, certainly not physical lust. It's rather lust for fulfilling people's dreams. Every character has its dream which says a lot about certain person and its world. Axel would like to live in Alaska with Eskimos, he often has dreams concerning them. Leo would like to build pyramid from Cadillac’s reaching high up to the very moon. Grace wants to die and be reborn as a turtle, while Elaine dreams about flying (getting Axel to build weird flying machines for her). Not all of them can come true. Whole movie has this dream-like atmosphere. Domination of warm and a bit mysterious tones causes viewer to sink into picture. Almost magical elements, like Grace levitating in her chair, draw us into this specific day-dreaming feel. It's easy to loose ability to distinguish between what's real and what belongs to character's imagination. Symbols and metaphors are significant in Arizona Dream. Like that surrealistic floating fish which might express different visages of life or human nature.
Although Kusturica made this film in USA and with American actors he uses European language of illustration - with all its reticence and half-ironical, half-melancholic distance. Also, minimalistic yet skilful play of Johnny Depp deserves a recognition. He transformed into Axel wisely and with understanding. Carried burden of his uneasy role pretty well.
Goran Bregovic wrote music which is a great experience on its own, so wonderful. His typical Balkan style in mixture with Arizona prairie photographs delivers some interesting and captivating feel. But, trying to describe music with words is often senseless attempt, so I'll just stop at recommending it to you all. Give it a listen, it's worth it.
I don't know how much anyone can learn from this film. It might at least make you wonder, think about essence of dreams maybe. Or people's relationships, desires, growing up?... Or it might be just an emotional trip, a state of day-dreaming which won't be easily forgotten. Because, like someone wiser than me said, as long as we dream - we live - that's what makes us human.
Summary