Present Tense: on Emir Kusturica’s Arizona Dream (1993)

I’ve been obsessed with Arizona Dream – the 142-minute version, not the BUTCHERED version released in theatres or on DVD (at least in the US) for decades now. It stars Jerry Lewis, Faye Dunaway (in one of her best performances), Johnny Depp, Lili Taylor, and Vincent Gallo. I have never been able to get it out of my mind even though – at least if you live in America – you only saw the CUT version, which destroyed the whole film. One of my favorite movies of all time. So I decided to write about it.

And whaddya know, you’re in luck. The full version – the 142-minute version – has been uploaded onto YouTube. See it before it’s taken down.

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7 Responses to Present Tense: on Emir Kusturica’s Arizona Dream (1993)

  1. Mike Molloy says:

    Hi Sheila, since you’re stressing the importance of seeing the not-overly-cut version I’m going to be pedantic, with the goal of being sure to watch the right one: Your link brings me to a 135-minute version (2:14:54, since I’m mr pedantic here). So:

    o Original: 142
    o Linked: 135
    o Theatric: 119 (per your article)

    The 135-minute one I find at your link is the one you’re endorsing? Like, it’s not that you found & linked the 142-minute version, & after you linked someone swapped in an inferior 135-minute version as the target of that URL?

    I’m presuming the answer is “Yes, the 135-minute version is good enough”; just being sure.

    • sheila says:

      yeah the Youtube link is the one to see. it’s the cut I saw, with the scenes that were butchered out of it. But see it soon – it’s not supposed to be on Youtube and periodically it disappears. For years at a time before it resurfaces.

      • sheila says:

        there is also, apparently, a 4-hour version out there – which Johnny Depp has on VHS. I know one person – who dated Depp around that time – who actually SAW that version. I am green with envy.

        so. there are many versions of this thing. Including a Serbian cut. There are many many deleted scenes (included on the region 2 DVD). But the Youtube link is fine.

  2. Never heard of it. Now I’ve seen it on youtube because of your review. I like to sit back and let art movies happen to me. This did. Happen. To me.

    • sheila says:

      Yay!! I’m so glad you saw it, Steve. Excited!

      It’s magic.

      If one person checks it out because of what I wrote, it’s all worth it to me. Thank you for letting me know.

      • sheila says:

        you know what sequence really really got to me in my recent reunion with the film?

        the whole ambulance sequence w/Jerry Lewis and Johnny Depp – with the MUSIC – and then the final moment with the ambulance levitating and floating towards the moon – it just FLATTENED me.

        The moments I remembered from my first time seeing it were mostly the comedic moments – Vincent Gallo’s performance, the dinner scene, etc. But it has very very deep emotions in it too and that’s what I really felt when I was writing this piece.

        Funny/sad simultaneously – American films, in general, don’t pull that off well.

  3. Robin Hislop says:

    Hi Sheila, thanks for the affectionate review which has made me want to track this one down. Thought you should know that the Blu-ray release is the 142 minute cut, at least according to Blu-ray.com.

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