All of the posters were shot in the opening garden scene with the words "TROPICO" sprawled in capital letters somewhere across the poster. The first poster is shot in full black and white, and features Del Rey and the white serpent from the Garden of Eden in her hands, as it slithers around her shoulders. Starting July 27, 2013, Del Rey released the first of three official posters for Tropico. In the weeks leading up to the release of Tropico, Del Rey released two official teasers on her official YouTube channel as well as two official trailers, one released on her YouTube channel, and one on her Vevo channel. The first teaser shows Del Rey crouching on her knees and praying while wearing a blue dress and head dress, and the second teaser shows Del Rey and Shaun Ross together as Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden with Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, and Jesus. The two characters then ascend back into heaven, having finally redeemed themselves, as flying saucers appear in the sky.
Clips show the pair being baptised as they begin to undress. The Adam and Eve characters then get in their car and end up driving to a country-side wheat field. Have you seen a Kansas sunset, or an Arizona rain?"). God appears and begins to narrate John Mitchum's poem "Why I Love America" ("You ask me why I love her? Well, give me time. A couple of minutes after the strippers enter the room, Ross and his gang suddenly show up with guns in hand and steal all their money. After the song ends, Del Rey recites Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" as a group of wealthy middle aged men are seen surprising their friend on his birthday by bringing him strippers. In this segment – " Gods & Monsters" begins to play.
There is a reference to their "Paradise" in the convenience store, as there is a sign that says "El Paraíso" or "The Paradise" in Spanish. As a result of this, they are cast out of their "Paradise", the Garden of Eden.ĭel Rey then starts to recite Walt Whitman's "I Sing the Body Electric" as time flash forwards to a modern-day Adam and Eve living in Los Angeles Del Rey works as a stripper while Ross is a gang member who also works as a clerk at a convenience store during the day. Adam then decides to eat from the apple as well in order to join his lover. After she eats it, thunder strikes and she faints. At the end of the song, Eve – tempted by the snake – decides to eat an apple from Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
The whole movie is intercut with scenes of Del Rey playing Jesus' mother Mary. The movie starts out with the original Adam (portrayed by Shaun Ross) and Eve (portrayed by Lana Del Rey) in the Garden of Eden. God (portrayed by a John Wayne character), Jesus, Marilyn Monroe, and Elvis Presley are all present with Adam and Eve– as " Body Electric" begins to play. On the night, Del Rey also revealed the name of her then-upcoming studio album, Ultraviolence. Tropico premiered in the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood, California, on December 4, at a premiere event hosted by Del Rey for her fans to attend. Tropico was officially released December 5, 2013, on Vevo and also as a digital EP that included the three featured songs and the film itself was released on all music services. The film features actors who play Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe and Jesus Christ, (all of whom are mentioned in " Body Electric"). 'TROPICO' the film, coming next year"Īnthony Mandler was confirmed as the director of Tropico, making it his third video collaboration with Del Rey, his first two being " National Anthem" and " Ride". Shooting primarily took place in Chatsworth and Los Angeles, California, during June, 2013. But i have my beauty and i have my youth. "i lost my reputation, i forgot my truth. When it was uploaded to Del Rey's YouTube channel on November 8, 2012, the video contained the following description: The film was first announced upon the release of the first music video for " Bel Air".