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"lost in las vegas synopsis |
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Booker,
as Anglo, lives on a Pueblo Indian reservation as a chosen son and the
close friend of Joseph, the tribal holy man.
The traditional elders need to pass the spiritual mantle of their
small tribe to the next generation, but their choice and ceremonial
dancing prodigy, Ramon Ortiz (named White Wing), has won the world
championship as a Fancy Dancer at the Foxwoods powwow and has been
seduced by money and fame to pervert the Pueblo spirituality of his
dance on the Las Vegas showroom stage. In a sacred
kachinas ceremony, Anglo is chosen to go to Las Vegas in an attempt to
restore the prodigal son. As
Winn Conover in a previous life, Anglo (Booker) had been a junket player
at the strip casinos. Although
White Wing is obligated by tribal courtesy to share his apartment with
Anglo, he has no intention of paying attention to him.
White Wing has already been treated to a makeover by Tropicana
showgirls Debbie and Sue, who have recruited him for their after-show
escort scam. White Wing
abuses alcohol, gambles heavily, and counts coup on rich white women who
lust for the body of the dancing wonder. Anglo soon comes
to odds with White Wing, and the showgirls attempt to drive the
troublesome meddler out of Vegas. Anglo
as Booker suffers for his initial failures in a long night of
lamentations at Red Rock Canyon. Employing
a more intuitive tact, Anglo is able to explain the purpose of his
mission to Las Vegas to the showgirls.
The women do not agree to help him, but he is no longer
ostracized from their company. Anglo
slowly shares Pueblo culture with the women as he and White Wing sing
Pueblo songs, and White Wing dances ceremony on an after-show late night
picnic to Red Rock Canyon. With the high
anxiety neutralized, Anglo asks White Wing to assist him in a vision
quest, a life and death ordeal to achieve spiritual clarity. As they prepare for the five-day experience, Sue and Debbie
assist with transportation and promise to be stand-by rescuers.
The site for the vision quest is Valley of Fire State Park, a
place of sacred rites for centuries before Park Rangers sabotaged Indian
gatherings. Anglo and White
Wing must sneak into the park to select and prepare the vision quest
site. The exciting
climax of the vision quest ordeal involves the danger of death from
naked exposure to the desert wilderness for both men. Sue and Debbie fear the worst.
The destinies of Booker and White Wing merge in the crucible of
the Valley of Fire. |
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