Don Juan DeMarco

Unsuccessful romance and would-be satire which attempts to suggest that in the real world we are all seventeenth century Spanish noblemen and women (and all fantastic lovers), if only we could see. Johnny Depp is Johnn De Marco (Don Juan De Marco), a depressed twenty-one year old who is convinced he is the famous womaniser. Marlon Brando plays the kid's psychologist Dr. Mickler (a.k.a. Don Octavio De Florez), who agrees to give Johnny ten days to convince him he is in fact De Marco. It is never quite clear whether writer/director Jeremy Leven is actually trying to convince us, or is merely playing around with an idea. Perhaps he felt he might provide us with a little light entertainment. In truth, "Don Juan De Marco" is nothing more than a hedonist's dream, as De Marco goes from one woman to the next, literally. One thousand, five hundred and two women bend to his will. If sexual conquest is your thing, then maybe Don Juan is you man. For me though, all play and no morals make Jack a promiscuous boy. The cast, including Depp, Brando and Faye Dunaway, do little to help. Sunday, June 8, 1997 - Video

Every movie reflects its times. This one is certainly no exception. The mysteries of courtship have reduced to awkward teen-age comedies or sexual romps where the sex has little or no relevance and even less lust. So much of the wonder of this film is derived from its fantasy. As long as we think its fantasy, we do not have to ask how accurate it may represent our reality. In other words this film wisely avoids what is and focuses on what should be. Or maybe what was. The movie opens with Don Juan DeMarco (Johnny Depp) walking with purpose and in the full costume of an 18th century cavalier (complete with a cape). He goes into a restaurant. There he finds a beautiful young woman waiting for her dinner companion (who is late). Don Juan begins to talk to her. He takes her hand, and noticing her knuckles (a word of cacophony if ever there was one) and delivers an ode, which celebrates the perfection of that part of her hand. His words are smooth and his delivery flawless. His sincerity cannot be questioned. She succumbs to his charm. After a seduction (he would not have been concerned if he had failed), he announces that he is now ready to kill himself! Talk about tongue in cheek. He is set to do it when Marlon Brando enters as the wonderful Dr. Mickler/ Don Octavio De Flores who is hoisted up to where Don Juan is by a Cherry Picker that he has trouble getting into. Don Octavio immediately talks Don Juan down by accepting whom Juan thinks they both are. That's the wonderful beginning. In the next 10 days, Don Juan tells Don Octavio, a series of tales that reminds one of Scherezade. In the meantime every woman and one of the men besides Don Octavio (a really tall muscular masculine type named Rocco) come completely under his spell and they all listen to their hidden romantic side. Don't confuse Don Juan DeMarco with the Decameron. The movie is not really about sex, seduction, or relationships between men and woman. I may be wrong, but I think it is a yearning. It is a cry for something better that we all want for ourselves. What woman would not want to have notice taken of the effort she has gone to make herself as good looking as she can? What man would not like to have the skill to make a woman believe what he says about her? What man does not secretly wish he was so deeply committed to something (women in this case) that his words would convey his deep feelings effortlessly? Furthermore that his commitment was pure and truthful? That it was not a line? We cannot look at these questions in a movie without covering them with something like fantasy. The ideal is so unappealing. We want instant gratification. I have thought about this for a considerable time and have come to the conclusion that a woman could never accept what I have written without thinking it was masculine crap. If cornered I would agree. But before I did, I would point out that Don Juan was a poet whose verses are life. He believes what he says: it is his ultimate truth. Seduction and sex are really quite secondary. Finding perfection and conveying it is primary. Don Juan is well worth your two-hour investment. Perhaps it will connect you to what you yearn for and the truth everyone seeks.

Spoilers herein. Its a simple working of a common but clever idea. You have the reality of the viewer, the reality of the film and a separate reality of a character within the film. Here, as with hundreds of others, the third impinges on the second in such a way as to blur the relationship between our reality and that of the film. But this time, we have two of the three living actors capable of shifting among all these worlds. Under the foolishness, that's just what they do, though it is hard to tease out behind the rather vapid direction and somewhat silly story. One scene tells all about what masters these are: Brando in bed with popcorn. Here, you can see all sorts of things going on under that childish abandon toward DeMarco's Mexico. Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 4: Worth watching.

This is really an example of how a romantic comedy should be and how fantastic a romantic comedy can be. Intelligent, witty and great fun. It gives its audience respect by delivering a clever story with good actors and great lines. The story is quite absurd and so is the duo in it - Marlon Brando and Johnny Depp. But this is just a good thing. Hollywood usually thinks its audience is filled with morons when making romantic comedies, but this is not so. There are still a few of us out here who enjoy the combination of intelligence, elegance and romance. This film delivers on all counts. Love is a simple enough ingredient for a film. This film knows how to use it and the result is wonderful.

This movie is supposed to be romantic, beautiful and full of subtle grace. It fails terribly. All that dancing in the moonglow is supposed to be romantic but it's just corny and ridiculous, and it can only make one laugh. Brando is a good actor, but here he is just out of place. In the final scene, dancing on the beach, he looks like a whale. Both him and his partner instead of looking graceful look like a pair of circus clowns. Others, including Johnny Depp, do no better. This was supposed to be a beautiful, romantic movie but what we get is "Naked Gun 4 1/4".

This movie is a must, if you have even one romantic bone in your body. Depp is perfect as the lead, and I have never enjoyed Brando and Dunaway more. This movie is unique in my movie-going experience, as the entire audience applauded when it was over, which doesn't happen in NYC theatres too often.

I loved this film. It made me think if I'm dreaming enough? Or am I just living life by its face value? Don Juan DeMarco, is about dreams, about fantasies, and about love. It raises the important question, how much of imagination is enough to spice up your life, and not turn you into a delusional freak. Everybody knows and accepts the fact that one can not have everything one desires, one can become everything one wants to be. so what do you do? Give up, and live the dull and routine life you have, or have 2 different worlds, one for yourself and one for everybody around you. But while doing that how do you make sure you don't end up severing your link with the real world and end up in a mental asylum. Its this tight rope that Don Juan DeMarco, played brilliantly by Johny Depp has to walk on. His real life leaves lot to be desired for. Rejected by his one and only true love, he drifts away in his fantasy world, where he is the greatest lover of all. By doing that, though he is able to transform himself into a real charmer, he distances himself from the real world, and his real identity. So he ends up in a clinic for delusional patients under the care of weary and dreary pshychatrist Dr Jack, played by charming Marlyn Brando. And this is the beginning of the delightful exchange of ideas and vision between the 2 completely different personas. In the process both of them tend to gain, and make their lives a little better. Don Juan gets back his identity, so that he doesn't have to live in the mental hospital, while Jack gets his grove back :-) Coming back to the technical aspects of the film, I don't think there's anything lacking there. Good screenplay, solid acting and soothing original score. The script comes up with jewels every now and then, which makes you rexamine your own beliefs in life, and love. A highly enjoyable film.

My mom and I have been trying to see more Johnny Depp movies since we saw his biography, we've seen the main movies that highlighted his career, but never the little one's along the way. Don Juan DeMarco, I don't remember hearing much about it when it was released, I think it was one of those small success films. But the thing that was interesting is that so many people who compared Johnny Depp to Marlon Brando on his diverse roles and character acting methods, they finally got to work together in this movie and bonus, they had great chemistry on screen. Don Juan DeMarco isn't by any means my favorite Johnny Depp film or a great film, but it's a good one that I think had a decent story and is very watchable at least one time. Johnny and Marlon just deliver the story so well and were so charismatic on screen. Johnny truly became Don Juan DeMarco. Dr. Jack Mickler is a psychiatrist who is on his last few days before his big retirement. He meets a suicidal man who is claiming that he is the legendary Don Juan DeMarco, he is put into the hospital. He begs Jack to take the time to tell him his story and that if he can convince him that he is Don Juan, that Jack will let him go. He agrees and Don tells him his story. But Don's grandmother tells Jack a different story, is Don really Don or just some crazy guy who is desperately in love with a woman? But Jack believes him and even becomes a Don Juan at home with his wife. Don Juan DeMarco is a cute film and is definitely worth a look. There's nothing wrong with the film, I just wasn't into it as much as I am usually thrilled with Johnny or Marlon. But I think this was one of those films they could be more relaxed with and they were already very much established as great actors, so they could do a movie like this. It didn't matter that it wasn't a box office success, it's just a cute movie that I'm sure you'll enjoy. It definitely leaves a smile on your face and makes you feel good, so I would recommend it for a fun little comedy. 7/10

I recently re-watched this film with some friends and found myself, yet again, swept away by it's enchantment, romance, and live of life. In talking about it afterwards, I was struck by how well this film serves to reflect the romantic state of our souls. Quite simply, watch the film and, at the end, notice how you feel the about the character of Don Juan DeMarco. Was he a sad, lonely youth who invented a rich, romantic fantasy world for himself that became so appealing and rejuvenating to his psychiatrist that in the end they fly off to Mexico to re-live that fantasy world under his benevolent supervision? Or was he Don Juan DeMarco relating his adventures to Dr Mickler who becomes transformed by his tales of life and romance and is convinced of who Don Juan DeMarco is so that, in the end, they rehearse a story believable for the staff of the mental hospital that would set Don Juan free to fly off and reunite with his beloved Dona Anna? The film supports both interpretations. Ponder deeply which one you *really* believe and it will reveal the state of your romantic soul.

This is simply another great film by Johnny Depp. In the film, he plays a delusional man who believes that he is Don Juan. When I first watched the film I was actually waiting for another film to begin. However, I'm glad that I watched it. It has just the right balance of comedy and drama to make it a very unique film. As the movie progresses, Don Juan is telling his life story to his psychiatric doctor. As Don Juan commences, his doctor is also affected in many ways. The movie is directed very well, the ending is well done as well. I definitely recommend this movie to those who are fans of Depp's other works or just for anyone who hasn't seen a good film in a while.