Deuce Bigalow: The Modern Don Juan

Paper Summary:

Don Juan has been one of the many recurrent icons present throughout history. He made his most notable appearances in Tirso da Molina's seventeenth century comedy, Mozart and Da Ponte's "Don Giovanni" in late eighteenth century, and more recently in Mike Mitchell's movie "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo" which premiered in 1999. This paper looks at how there are two contrasting constructions of the Don operating in the modern film and several clues to the presence of this icon. It discusses how his role can be further understood by comparing the new construction of Don Juan to his classic form in the seventeenth and eighteenth century plays, as well as by considering how urban culture has remade the Don.

From the Paper:

"There are many similarities that can be drawn between the Don in Mozart and Da Ponte's opera and Mitchell's modern construction of the Don. For instance, the Don Giovanni is a man who indulges himself in every desire that he has. He is arrogant yet charming; sadistic, yet sexy. This is exemplified by the fact that he attempts to sleep with almost every woman he comes in contact with, as well as the fact that he goes as far as killing a man, revealing his sadistic side. The first scene in Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo that Antoine is in mirrors this image almost exactly. He pulls up in his sports car with one of his "customers", blaring music and seducing her with promises of "massage oils". When he and the woman catch sight of Deuce, they both start to laugh hysterically at him."

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• Poem Review # 128617 : "Poetic Art in "Don Juan"

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