Helicopter

from the first washington post review (brown's):

"We live in chaos -- it's the central issue in everyone's life," Davis tells Mack as they leave the game. The film plays against a visual and sonic background of urban violence, an undertow of rage and fear; the continual sound of sirens and helicopters, the ominous booming pulse of megabass-equipped cars, the heart-stopping sound of a telephone in the night are a shocking reminder of how much danger and discomfort we've accustomed ourselves to.

"Pervading the film is a distinctly metaphysical (or new age, if you must) question about the nature of the impulses and coincidences (miracles?) that set these stalled characters moving again. The continually circling surveillance helicopters that hover over nearly every scene can be viewed as ominous, but may also be seen as guardian angels."

but the real insightful and intelligent review (the only one of those linked to on this site), a must-read, is the second wash post review (kempley's):

"This City of the Angels captured by Kasdan, its skies buzzing with helicopters, reminds us most of all of Vietnam. But this is not war, it's suicide, America in the latent stages of self-inflicted apocalypse. Kasdan validates our fears, but he doesn't strip us of all hope, for the central image also promises something greater than ourselves. The view from the edge can be awesome."

i forget the name of the book and author whose intent it was to keep the critics scratching their heads for eternity, but i can't help but believe there is so much symbolism and so many literary references in this movie that it is the movie version of the same intent!

also, dream "experts" will tell you that dream flight is symbolic of flying over your problems and searching/finding a solution to them. a la a bird's eye view.

hth.