Don Juan De Marco

Want to attend a negotiation or communication course?

Maybe this film can teach you more: here is the story.

A young man who says his name is Don Juan De Marco, claims to be the world’s greatest lover and the son of a great swordsman. And he wears a mask, hat, and mantle reminiscent of Zorro, the heroic protagonist of so many adventure films.

The young Don Juan attempts suicide because he states that he has been abandoned by the woman he loves, the only one who has rejected him; Dr Mickler, a psychiatrist, then intervenes and skilfully manages to get him off the ledge from which the young man threatens to jump.

To convince him to desist from his insane purpose, Dr Mickler poses as Don Octavio de Flores, an eighteenth-century noble person and uncle of the swordsman at whose hands don Juan intends to die. The dual personality the doctor takes on is one of the dominant themes of the film.

The psychiatrist takes the young man into his care despite that he will retire within days and becomes involved in a romantic and ambiguous journey into the past; a journey that helps him rediscover the joy of life, dreams, and the relationship with his wife that he had neglected.

The film ambiguously unfolds between reality and fantasy, and keeps the viewer glued to the screen; crucial is the young man’s communication strategy to keep the doctors on the rope and, finally, achieve his goals.

The story makes you appreciate the importance of communication and that the influence between two people can be so powerful as to disrupt pre-established roles.

Now let’s take a look at the trailer, and then we will look in detail at the reasons why I recommend the film.

How to watch the film

The story is a real source of inspiration for anyone planning to attend, or even design, a training course on negotiation as well as communication (verbal and nonverbal).

We can watch scenes that can inspire effective negotiation strategies, or depict communication techniques that emphasize the importance of looking at the world through other people’s eyes; straightforward evidence of how the choice of “communication terrain” is crucial in the evolution of the relationship between people: and a negotiation performance.

The final scene of the doctors’ deception is something you won’t forget: go for it!

Cast

Marlon Brando, Johnny Depp, Faye Dunaway, Géraldine Pailhas, Carmen Argenziano, Jo Champa, Bob Dishy, Marita Geraghty, Tresa Hughes, Franc Luz