The
fantasies of the patient (played by Johnny Depp) in Don Juan de Marco are
not dreams, i
n
the common use of this word. They are presented as true auto- biographical
stories, and combine true images. There is no difference in the external look
of the fantasy sequences and the external look of the reality sequences. As
it turns out in the beginning of the film, these auto-biographical accounts
are actually conscious fantasies that the patient has created. But just like
dreams, those fantasies can tell us a lot about the psychological conflicts
and the personality of the patient. His fantasies tell his life story, as
an only child to a beautiful mother and a brave father. He was born in Mexico,
attracting the attention of women since a very early age, and losing his virginity
at the age of 15. He falls in love with his married tutor, and then his father
is killed in a fight by the tutor's husband. Don Juan takes over the fight,
kills the husband, and then takes over for his father in caring for his mother.
He travels abroad, is kidnapped and enslaved by a sultan, making love to his
thousand wives and then falls in true love with a beautiful princess. On the
surface, it sounds like another dreamy fairy- tale. But a closer look shows
that the fantasies of the patient exposes his sub- conscious wishes, and in
that way resemble the psychological meaning of dreams. The story of a kid
that accidentally causes his father's death and then takes over his place,
is an expression of the sub-conscious wish (as Freud presented it) of taking
over the father's position, as an essential stage of growing up. Having succeeded
in the same thing at which his father failed, (killing the tutor's husband),
gives him the strength and the legitimacy of standing on his own feet. Afterwards,
he experiences the fulfillment of every man's dream, to be desired by all
woman. This only proves part of the connection between Freud's theory and
the structure of Don Juan's fantasies. I won't go any farther in my descriptions,
because I don't want to ruin the viewing for those who didn't catch up with
the film yet. But I will say this -- during the watch, try to analyze Don
Juan's fantasies as if they were dreams. That will bring you to the subconscious
psychological aspects of Don Juan's personality, as it reflected to his conscious
fantasies. The power of this film, in my opinion, is not only in his straight,
funny way of telling a story, but also in bringing light to the mysterious
connection between dreams and conscious fantasies
